You gotta get up pretty early to be a chef or food prepper at Meals on Wheels of Northampton County (MOWNC). I would have to say like 2 a.m. or earlier since their shifts start at 3 a.m. That's when things really start cooking at the Fritch Avenue location in Bethlehem. From the look of things, I doubt anyone there would have it any other way. Their genuine smiles say it all.
I was fortunate to get a “behind-the-scenes” tour of MOWNC as part of my morning as a Community Champion in their month-long “March for Meals” campaign.
A few years back after my father returned home from a hospital stay my siblings and I decided our parents could use some assistance with their daily responsibilities while Mom was helping Dad recuperate.
Thank goodness for Meals on Wheels. Of course, I had heard about the iconic organization in various ways over the years, but it never occurred to me how soon our family would benefit from this invaluable service.
Because of this experience, I thought I knew what this organization was all about. But, it turns out I didn't. Our tour guide, JoAnn Nenow, Executive Director of MOWNC, explained that outreach efforts provide 475,000 meals to people in our area per year.
What I didn't know was what else they provide— like pet food delivery for no extra charge. Nenow says they discovered that some of the seniors they were serving were sharing their meals with their pets because they also did not have food for them. Nenow says the organization has been receiving adequate supplies of donated pet food for some time and they are thrilled with the community's response to this request for donations.
There's also a grocery shopping service for the elderly and indigent provided by MOWNC. Groceries can be ordered online and a volunteer does the shopping and then delivers the groceries to the person in need at home. The recipient pays for the groceries upon receipt and a small $4 service fee. This is a Godsend when getting around is difficult and lifting heavy grocery bags is not an option.
Nenow also took the time to clarify some long-standing assumptions about Meals on Wheels that are totally inaccurate. The first is that the organization is 100% government-funded. While they do receive an annual subsidy, it amounts to just over 20% of operating costs per year.
Another big misconception is that the meals don't taste good. MOWNC works with highly trained and qualified chefs and others in the food service industry to ensure that all meals meet nutritional requirements and taste great. A conscious effort to source the freshest produce and goods from local farmers and purveyors is also being practiced so only the tastiest foods are making it to senior tables.
Finally, you don't have to be financially compromised to qualify for Meals on Wheels services since it is a paid-for program. Individuals participating simply give what they can.
The objective is simple, too. Address hunger in all its forms and circumstances so no one has to go hungry.
After my tour I hopped in the car and rode along with volunteer Andy Clymer of Bethlehem Township as he made his deliveries. Case in point, our first delivery was to a younger woman suffering with MS. After a winter's worth of health issues, she remarked the smiles on the faces of the volunteers at her door, certainly helps.
Onward we drove through Tatamy and the outskirts of Forks Township to deliver our warming containers full of hot meals and packaged lunches. Clymer, a retired UPS driver, says he loves being able to help in this way during his retirement. He's upbeat, despite the wintery winds we are delivering in and he anticipates volunteering in this manner for years to come.
“Who knows? Someday I could be the one having a meal delivered to me,” he says.
Well, if that happens Andy, I hope you get a volunteer as wonderful as you are. It is people like Andy, after all, who are the true community champions.
Learn more. Volunteer. Contact Meals on Wheels of Northampton County at 610.691.1030, or visit mealsonwheelspa.org.
