Meals on Wheels looking for drivers, volunteers

David Singleton, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 13—Generally mild weather has meant mostly clear roads this winter for Meals on Wheels of Northeastern Pennsylvania drivers and volunteers, but executive director Kristen Kosin knows how quickly that can change.

Only three years ago, snow fell in May, she recalled.

Although the agency is always seeking drivers and delivery volunteers to help it fulfill its mission, it also needs individuals who can substitute or pitch in on routes when the weather turns dicey or a regular volunteer has to cancel.

"We are looking for those people who may not have the flexibility to commit to the same route every week or every other week or every month, but they want to be involved and we can call them in on an infrequent basis," Kosin said.

That happens sometimes during inclement weather, when Meals on Wheels has procedures in place "where we may deliver in advance or we may deliver in the beginning or at the end of a weather event," she said.

The agency has been fortunate in that regard so far this season, with only a handful of days when weather has affected deliveries, Kosin said.

However, she said the fact remains that the area potentially faces two more months of winter weather "whether you believe in Punxsutawney Phil or not."

There is also an issue with seasonal attrition.

"This time of year is tricky for us because we have a group of volunteers who do go to warmer climes for the winter, and I can't blame them," Kosin said.

Something similar happens in the summer when the weather warms up and regular volunteers go on vacation, increasing Meals on Wheels' need for substitutes, she said.

In the meantime, the agency is looking to fill two immediate openings.

One is for a part-time driver to deliver meals to volunteer dropoff points and assist with individual meal deliveries two to four days a week, Kosin said. The other is for a delivery volunteer to handle meal deliveries two days a week in West Scranton.

Green Ridge resident Bill Lynn, 75, a Meals on Wheels driver who also volunteers as a route substitute almost every day, encourages anyone interested in meeting wonderful people and making a difference in their lives to volunteer.

There can be great satisfaction in delivering a nourishing meal to someone in need, he said.

"You get to know the different people, and it's just so pleasant in the morning talking with them," Lynn said. "Sometimes it's a brief conversation — you might just be saying, 'Hello. How are you doing?' Sometimes it might be longer. But many times that may be the only contact they get during the day."

For more information on driver or delivery volunteer opportunities at Meal on Wheels, visit the agency's website at www.mealsonwheelsnepa.com or call 570-346-2421.

Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132