Monroe County Meals on Wheels needs more volunteers. Here's how you can help

Monroe County Meals on Wheels celebrated Community Champions Week March 21-25 with a series of ride along experiences to raise awareness for all that the organization does for locals in need of fresh, healthy food.

According to a press release, Community Champions Week involves having local elected officials and other special guests go out to deliver meals.

"This year we're really trying to focus on our need for volunteers. We recently reached 300 clients, which means our delivery routes are getting too long. This puts a real burden on our existing volunteers." Stacey Kocek, Special Events Coordinator for Monroe Meals on Wheels, said in a press release. "The only way we can split these routes is with 5-10 new volunteers."

This year's Community Champions included: Delaware Water Gap Mayor Larry Freshcorn, Pa. Rep. Maureen Madden, Middle Smithfield Township Supervisor Annette Atkinson, Stroudsburg Mayor Michael Moreno, members of the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, Rep. Jack Rader, Rep. Tarah Probst, a representative from Senator Rosemary Brown's office, and Monroe County Commissioner John Christie.

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History of Monroe Meals on Wheels

Monroe County Meals on Wheels was founded to serve a need in the community, albeit with only 11 clients in Stroudsburg versus today's 300. The county's first Meals on Wheels program was organized with the help of the Monroe County Clergy Association and Church Women United in 1972, according to the group's website.

In 2022, the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary.

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Food insecurity in Pennsylvania and Monroe County

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, in 2022, more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians, or 8.9% of the general state population, and 13% of Pa. children, may not know the source of their next meal.

Among 1,266 contacts to the Pennsylvania 2-1-1 hotline in Monroe County, requests for information related to food services were among the top five needs faced by locals from Jan. 1 to March 31.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, existing benefit shortcomings, isolation and lack of transportation are just some of the factors that play into food insecurity in the Commonwealth.

In 2020, more than 17,500 Monroe County residents were considered "food insecure."

During the pandemic, the need for the organization's help was higher than ever ― more than 135,000 meals were delivered by 249 volunteers to more than 700 Monroe County clients on 20 delivery routes. Volunteers spent more than 9,700 hours driving more than 110,000 miles to "help us provide nutritional support to Monroe County's homebound."

Become a client with Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels clients can be of any age, but they "must be substantially homebound due to physical or mental challenges, and must be unable to shop and/or prepare meals."

Weekly freezer packs or daily delivery programs are available to clients. Emergency options (such as ahead of inclement Pocono weather) are also available. You can even sign up for the Pet Program to help feed your furry friends.

The meals are free, if you need them to be: monetary contributions are welcome, but meals are not denied to individuals who may be struggling financially.

Meals are delivered between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. The organization does not deliver on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the following Friday, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

If a delivery day falls on a holiday, you can request your meal to be pre-delivered. All non-delivery days are subject to change, the website notes.

Meals are prepared by Meals on Wheels of NEPA. To learn more and/or sign up, go to monroemeals.org/client-meals, call 570-424-8794, or email skinney@monroemeals.org.

How to get involved with Monroe Meals on Wheels

From hosting events for the organization, to becoming a delivery volunteer, there are plenty of ways to get involved with Monroe County Meals on Wheels.

Make a donation, sign up to help out at an event, or apply to become a volunteer at monroemeals.org.

The org's volunteers are anyone from students, working professionals to retirees, but they are all "special people", Monroe Meals on Wheel's website says. Volunteering can be done on a flexible schedule, and the org encourages folks to "travel in pairs, grab a friend, spouse, relative, or neighbor and sign up together."

Monroe County Meals on Wheels is currently seeking drivers/carriers that can volunteer starting at 10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. Other assignments are variable. Volunteer applicants can indicate their availability, special skills (such as language proficiencies) and more via the org's application.

Download an application online at: bit.ly/3zTHpwY. Submit your application by mailing it to the Monroe County Meals on Wheels Office, located at 901 Polk Valley Road, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; via email tolraudabaugh@monroemeals.org, or by fax to 570-227-1340.

After completing the application to volunteer, candidates must pass a criminal background check and a health safety screening. Volunteers are also asked to comply with the organization's own COVID-19 safety protocols, as well as any outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

"While we are always looking for new volunteers, our need is approaching a critical level." Kocek said via email.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Monroe County Meals on Wheels celebrates Community Champions Week