Meals on Wheels: Food program looking for dedicated volunteer drivers

Carol Custer, the director of Unicoi County Meals on Wheels, is looking for a few good drivers to help out on local food deliveries for the program. The program currently has one delivery route in Unicoi and two in Erwin. "I have 15 drivers, but I am looking for someone to fill in for emergencies and when drivers go on vacation," Custer said. Dedicated Volunteers One of Custer's best drivers is Jim Schott, a member of Northridge Community Church. He resides in Erwin with his wife, Kim. Schott, who is retired from a 50-year career driving 18-wheelers, became one of Custer's delivery drivers for Meals on Wheels in order to fulfill a need for discipleship. "My wife and I have always liked to help others," Schott said. Delivering for Meals on Wheels has been very satisfying, he shared. "I like the feeling of helping someone," he said. "It's like what you'd do for your own parents." Volunteering to deliver meals, however, is more than simply dropping off food, according to Schott. "You're meeting physical as well as emotional needs," Schott explained. "I can sense what position they're in psychologically each time I visit." Custer and Schott agree that part of the purpose of the volunteerism is to develop trust with the people receiving the meals. "I will request to pray with them if I sense they need it," Schott said. "Sometimes they will ask me to pray. You'd be surprised what it means to them." Little Extras Learning to listen is a key means for building trust, according to Schott. "They really deeply appreciate having someone to talk to," Schott added. He explained that many of the people on his route live alone. "They don't get opportunities to talk and visit." Many of the persons on his route begin to look forward to his coming. Schott said the best drivers are those who learn to be caring and understanding of what people are going through. "I make a habit to share with them," he said. "They find in me a person to listen to their needs and worries. I look at myself as their sounding board." He also asks the routine questions, such as where they'd like him to put the meals. "Some will want me to put the food in the fridge, but some would like me to put the food on a table." He noted that many of the people he sees on the route must use walkers or wheelchairs, which can limit their ability to manage the meals on their own. "They will tell me how I can help," he said. Schott has also learned to recognize the expressions on their faces. "I'll just ask how their day is going," he said. He tries to perform tasks for them, such as removing boxes or trash. "We do other things for them as well," Schott said. "At first, they may be afraid to ask, but that comes after you build trust first." Drivers can also report back to Custer if people on their route have special needs. "We've even gotten minor repairs done for them," Custer said. "Many people don't realize all that Meals on Wheels does," she added. Some of the extra services provided by Custer's drivers are little touches meant to make life easier, such as providing church pamphlets or lists of helpful phone numbers for getting people in need of specific services. The Schotts and Custer are hoping to expand the local base of volunteers willing to make the weekday deliveries. "I've got a good group of people with a shared interest in helping others," Custer said. "It's a good program that works well." Kim Schott added, "Without the heart of Jesus, it would not get done." Getting the Food Out The meals are delivered, already pre-heated, from a warehouse in Johnson City each weekday morning. The warm food is kept in a warmer until delivery, but Custer always checks to ensure that the food arrived at the required temperature to guarantee food safety. Likewise, cool items, such as milk or salads, are kept in a cooler. When it's time to make the deliveries, the food is packaged in color-coded bags with cool foods in a blue insulated container and the hot foods in a red one. Ready to Volunteer? The volunteer work can be demanding, not the least because of challenges such as losing people on the route. "It's very sad for drivers to lose them," Custer said. Many of the people on the route engage with their delivery drivers, whether it's a woman who always waits for their arrival on her porch swing or someone who gets ready for the visits by looking their best and greeting them with a smile. "My drivers are God sent," Custer said. "They're beautiful people and do more than you ask them to do. They're there for each other." For details on volunteering, call Custer at (423) 735-9728. Signing up for Meals Meals on Wheels delivers meals every weekday on routes in Unicoi and Erwin, but arrangements are also made to deliver frozen meals that can be reheated on weekends when the program does not deliver. "You don't have to be a senior citizen to qualify for Meals for Wheels," Custer explained, noting that anyone with qualifying health or financial needs can receive the meal deliveries. "We have one person in his 20s who receives the meals," she said. "There's a phone number to call," she said. "Most will have insurance that will cover everything." On holidays, meals try to incorporate something extra into the menu. "There will be ham for the Easter meal," Custer said. Meals for other holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, also offer some traditional foods. "All meals come with drinks and breads," Custer said. Those interested in signing up for Meals on Wheels should call (423) 928-3528. "They'll be asked to leave a detailed message, and someone always gets back to them within two days," Custer explained.