Volunteers 'feed the needs of another'

If there is anything more important than the sustenance of a meal, how about a nutritionally balanced meal prepared by someone else and delivered to your kitchen table with a smile?

That's exactly what Meals on Wheels does, but it can't happen without assistance from some of the most important people in any community: volunteers.

In fact, according to longtime Portales Meals on Wheels treasurer Glenn McCoy, "We are a volunteer organization top to bottom. The board and officers are all volunteers. We are totally dependent upon organizations and individuals to deliver our meals."

It might be hard to find someone who knows this organization better than McCoy.

He has delivered countless meals, has been a member of the board since 2005, has been treasurer since 2007, and even had the first-hand experience of being a client of the program at one point.

"A few years ago," McCoy said, "a pack of dogs and I tried to occupy the same space at the same time. I lost."

After a short hospital stay, he was released to come back to his home, but "since I could not raise my arms above my head, I was unable to prepare meals for myself."

McCoy signed up for service and received his five-days-a week noon meals from Portales MOW for the next five weeks.

An important bonus?

"Along with that meal came a smile and a thoughtful greeting," McCoy said. "That made the food taste even better."

The Portales organization delivers lunches Monday through Friday for up to 30 individuals via six different "routes," which obviously requires six volunteer drivers each of those days.

"We currently have 17 groups who deliver for us," McCoy said, "eight civic or business organizations, eight churches, plus the Meals on Wheels board."

Even so, according to Portales MOW president Cora Stroud, another longtime volunteer, the organization is perpetually on the hunt for drivers to deliver those hot lunches, whether they are part of a group or simply an individual who can help on occasion.

Organizations typically sign up to cover a route for a month, but individuals are always needed to plug holes in those schedules as well as step up for last-minute cancellations, Stroud said.

What does it take? Nothing more than a vehicle, a willing heart, and generous portion of your lunch hour.

Stroud said meals are prepared by the kitchen at Heartland Continuing Care. Neatly packaged insulated trays are bundled up and typically ready to go by 11:40 a.m. each day.

Each route is provided with a stack of trays, a small chest of cold drinks, and a notebook with a map and any special instructions.

Volunteers may be solo or in teams, Stroud noted, but an individual can easily handle the task alone. That involves carrying in the insulated tray (or trays), removing the food which is in disposable liners, adding a carton of juice or milk, and then recording a successful delivery in the notebook.

Delivery for a route typically takes around 45 minutes, depending on the visiting, Stroud said, but that interaction is a vital part of the service.

"A quick visit, a smile, a little chit-chat goes a long way," she said.

"It works both ways," McCoy added. "The one delivering also receives a blessing ... satisfaction of serving the meal. This is what keeps me wanting to deliver meals to individuals. Indeed, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' I have made more friends through delivering meals than I can number."

On occasion, those visits can even be lifesavers.

McCoy recalled two incidents in his involvement with Meals on Wheels that he said "made us glad we had pursued the reason why no one answered the door.

"In both cases," he said, "an individual living alone had fallen to the floor and could not get up. One had been there for quite some time. We made a few phone calls and were able to send aid."

McCoy said the program is open to individuals in need of the service, whether they are recovering from an accident like he was, or homebound for another reason. The cost is $3.50 per meal, "or less, if circumstances warrant," he said.

United Way of Eastern New Mexico is an important year-round supporter.

To learn more about receiving meals, reach out to one of these board members: Glenn McCoy (575-749-5033 or 356-4771), Loretta Carley (575-356-8162 or 575-607-5275) or Cora Stroud (575-359-1483 or 575-760-9680).

And if you'd like to join that all-important cadre of volunteers, and work next to good people like McCoy, Carley, and Stroud, give Stroud a call.

As it says on the Portales Meals On Wheels literature, "The best spent lunch break is one that feeds the needs of another."

Betty Williamson tips her hat to the volunteers who nurture our community. Reach her at:

[email protected]