Meals On Wheels Maintains Mission While Adapting To Coronavirus

TAMPA, FL — For 65 years, elderly and disabled homebound residents in 5,000 communities across the country have depended on Meals on Wheels for a hot meal and a bit of companionship from the volunteer drivers who deliver them.

An international pandemic certainly wasn't going to stop the nonprofit from carrying out its mission. Steve King, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Tampa, said the organization is continuing to provide nutritious meals to its 850 recipients. It's just changing the way it's doing it.

"The community's most vulnerable population depends on us," said King. "But we've had to make some adjustments for the protection of both our recipients and volunteers."

Instead of having the volunteers deliver hot meals to the homebound recipients in Hillsborough County five days a week, Meals on Wheels of Tampa is now delivering frozen meals to recipients once a week. The prepared meals are ready to heat up.

"The volunteers just hang the bag of frozen food on the door knob and step back while the recipient opens the door," said King.

However, the meals are only part of the nonprofit's mission.

"For many of the homebound, a visit from a volunteer is the only human contact they will receive that day," said King.

While the visits from the volunteers keep the shut-ins from feeling isolated and lonely, the volunteers are rewarded with the friendships they foster with the elderly and disabled people they serve.

"Our volunteer base is incredible," King said. "While some have understandably stepped back from their deliveries during this crisis, they didn't want to just abandon the people they served. There's naturally a lot of fear and anxiety about coronavirus and our volunteers wanted to be able to offer the recipients comfort and reassurance."

T0 maintain that social contact, Meals on Wheels of Tampa launched a new program Friday called TelePals in which the volunteers call the Meals on Wheels recipients several times a week to check in and chat.

"The volunteers who had to step back love the idea of calling their people and maintaining contact," said King. "Like everyone else, we're adapting during this period and looking forward to getting back to normal."

To learn more about Meals on Wheels of Tampa, visit the nonprofit's website.