Paradise Meals On Wheels Seeks Volunteers
"My drivers have been phenomenal through (the) COVID-19 (pandemic), and it has not been easy," said Marie Glass, Paradise point person for Lancaster Meals on Wheels. Glass, who has been involved with the program for more than a decade, said that the lack of contact has been difficult for both drivers and those who receive meals. "People who were accustomed to visiting with clients can't talk to them and may not even see them to know they're all right," she said, adding that the Paradise volunteer coordinators and drivers have not missed a day of deliveries throughout the pandemic.
The Paradise Meals on Wheels program is affiliated with Lancaster Meals on Wheels, which makes about 350 meals per day for area recipients. The Paradise organization is located in a room in the Together Community Center (TCC), 3293 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. Meals provided by the Lancaster program are delivered to TCC each Monday through Friday. One hot meal and one cold meal are included each weekday for each of about 25 clients. Two drivers pick up the meals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and one driver handles the lighter Tuesday and Thursday routes.
Meals are provided for a nominal fee. Clients receive five ounces of meat, five ounces of starch, and three ounces of vegetable a day, and meals are available for recipients who need to follow a customized diet, including those on low-sodium, diabetic, low vitamin K, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets, as well as soft diets, puree diets, and others. Hot meals may include ham and pineapple gravy or a shrimp dish, while cold meals may include a turkey and cheddar or other type of sandwich. Salads are sometimes served in lieu of sandwiches.
Currently, the Paradise organization could use a few volunteer drivers. Volunteer time to drive totals about three hours a month. Drivers pick up meals at 8:30 a.m. at TCC and deliver on one of two routes from 9 to 10:30 a.m. "I have 20 drivers and right now I have no substitutes," noted Glass. Since the Paradise delivery area extends to Lampeter, Glass noted it would be nice to have a driver from that area. The delivery range could include Georgetown, Kinzers, White Horse, the area west to the intersection of routes 896 and 30, and the region north beyond the village of Intercourse.
The program allows many senior residents as well as others recovering from illnesses to remain in their own homes. Those wishing to help or to observe a route may call 717-940-4640.
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