Volunteers with Meals on Wheels of Chapel Hill/Carrboro serve every role from preparing meals and chatting with recipients to saving lives.
The organization, which provides hot meals for people unable to cook for themselves, celebrated its 35th anniversary last year and was honored with a Bridge Builders award from the MLK University/Community Planning Corp. last month.
The program has more than 100 volunteers that help either bake or deliver 86 meals a day, five days a week.
Stacey Yusko has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 14 years and now serves as the program’s director.
“We are a connection to the people we serve, to the bigger community,” she said. “I think a really large part of it is that we are a way for them to feel engaged and still in the world, even though they still can’t get out.”
Elizabeth Rushing, 78, has received meals for about a month since high blood pressure, asthma and heart problems made it difficult for her to fix meals on her own.
“I’ve loved having a good meal,” she said. “Something that I’m not able to fix for myself at times. I’m so glad to get on the program.”
The program not only provides meals to those who cannot prepare them on their own, but also helps people maintain independent living.
Mary Alice Eckman, who served as board chairwoman for 15 years, said that during their daily visits, there have been instances when volunteers have saved a recipient’s life by reporting a problem.
