Meals on Wheels
The non-profit needs help for Seniors
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Paul Esposito and Carl Riolo are enjoying the opposite end of volunteer service now. After five years apart, the two former volunteers met again by chance at Marion County Senior Services congregate dining lunch, one of MCSS's many programs created to help Seniors.
The two Seniors do not take using MCSS's services as a sign of old age, though. While joking about their age, Riolo, 94, claimed he was the oldest in the room. But Esposito, whose 90th birthday was in two days, insisted that the years do not matter.
"You're as young as you feel," Esposito said. "I'm turning 90, but I feel 68."
Their light-hearted fun quickly turned serious and underscored an important aspect to Marion County Senior Services' programs.
"Carl needs companionship," Esposito said.
Other friends of Riolo said living by yourself can make life very lonely sometimes, which is why many Seniors take advantage of MCSS. The group is similar to a small community, meeting for lunch at the fellowship hall-styled building a few times a week to enjoy socializing, recreation, exercise and lunch.
While site manager Alene Jackson said the members help each other out easily at the congregate dining lunches, the same cannot be said for MCSS's Meals on Wheels program.
Meals on Wheels, a program that delivers hot, prepackaged meals to the elderly, is having a hard time finding help. One of MCSS's biggest operations, the Meals on Wheels program delivers about 450 lunches a day, Monday through Friday, to those who are not able to get meals for themselves.
Meals on Wheels has 16 routes throughout Marion County, and volunteers deliver the meals between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Volunteers can deliver meals as often as they like, anywhere from one route a week to a route every day, said MCSS Community Resource Director Rosey Moreno-Jones.
Another important part of Meals on Wheels is the wellness check at each delivery. Oftentimes the volunteer that delivers the meals is the only person the Senior sees, Moreno-Jones said. When a volunteer drops off a lunch, he or she is responsible for making sure the Senior is well and does not need additional help.
The lack of Meals on Wheels volunteers will soon cause problems in other MCSS operations. As fewer people volunteer throughout the summer, often because of summer vacations and traveling, MCSS staff will have to deliver the meals, leaving other programs, such as the transit and congregate dining services, without help.
"We can never have enough [volunteers]," Moreno-Jones said. "We want to keep people in their homes as long as possible."
Meals on Wheels also delivers pet food every Wednesday. Moreno-Jones said MCSS began sending pet food when they learned many Seniors had no other food to feed their animals and were sharing their meals with their pets. The organization prepares the food on Tuesday and sends enough food for two pets, she said.
"It's their furry family," Moreno-Jones said, emphasizing the importance of animals to a Senior's wellbeing.
Although MCSS has about 400-450 active volunteers a month, only several dozen help with Meals on Wheels, Moreno-Jones said. The Meals on Wheels volunteers must be 18-years-old or older, have a valid driver's license, insurance and a clean driving record.
The meals delivered door-to-door are the same as those served cafeteria-style to Seniors who attend the congregate dining services, one of MCSS's three biggest programs. The meals provide a third of a 60-year-old's nutrient needs, and include things like turkey or chicken sandwiches, potato salad and fresh fruit.
MCSS congregate dining services also has two dinner locations, one of which is at the main office. MCSS is the only program in the state that offers dinner for Seniors, Moreno-Jones said.
Unlike Meals on Wheels where the lunch deliveries serve to ensure the client's health, the congregate dining service also provides a chance for Seniors to socialize.
MCSS has dining services at 11 sites throughout Marion County and provides about 200 meals a day. All are free to Seniors. Moreno-Jones said the groups have favorite activities and the same crowd is often seen at the lunches on a regular basis.
"You meet different people," said Annie Gallant, a Senior who attends the lunches with Esposito. "It's a fun thing to do."
Aside from the interaction, the lunches and dinners also help Seniors learn more about the community, something Mac and Pat McClanahan took advantage of when they moved to Ocala from Houston three years ago. The couple has been coming for the lunches ever since.
"It gave us insight about the city," Pat said. "They have all kinds of people come."
At the lunches, various speakers talk about hurricane preparedness and other issues. Speakers often include policemen, healthcare professionals and dietitians.
Another of MCSS's three largest operations is its transit services, which provides door-to-door transportation to Seniors and the disabled who cannot drive.
The transit service makes 700 trips a day throughout Marion County and begins at 5 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. The buses take Seniors to doctor appointments, the grocery store and other places they might need to go. Although there is little wait once registered, clients must make at least a 48-hour reservation each time they want to use the transit service.
Moreno-Jones said many of the Seniors are multiple-service clients, often using the delivered meals and the transit services.
She said while Meals on Wheels is MCSS's biggest program and is in need of the most help, volunteers are needed in all areas.
"This all speaks back to our mission," Moreno-Jones said. "When they go in nursing homes, their health starts to deteriorate. We want to keep them in their homes." §
For information about volunteering with Marion County Senior Services or eligibility requirements, call 352-620-3501.
