VON Windsor-Essex is in need of 90 volunteers for its Meals on Wheels and Adult Day programs.
Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive, Meals on Wheels supervisor Christine Bush says since 2019, the number of volunteers have decreased but the need in the community continues to grow.
She says in 2019-2020, the Meals on Wheels program operated with over 150 volunteers, delivering more than 52,000 meals to 519 clients.
Last year, the program had 108 volunteers who delivered 56,000 meals to 700 clients.
Bush says the program currently has less than 100 volunteers.
"I have 84 active volunteers who have already delivered 33,000 meals to 530 clients," says Bush. "So as you can see the number of volunteers have decreased but the need has certainly increased in our community."
She says a number of volunteers have retired from volunteering.
"Amazingly our volunteers years of service stand between one year and 31-years," says Bush. "So last year we lost five volunteers just to retirement because they put in over 20-years of service."
Bush says the two programs operate Monday through Friday.
"The Meals on Wheels program is a specific timed program," says Bush. "Meals go out daily at 11 a.m. so the window we ask for availability for volunteers is between 11 and 1 and we do ask for a minimum of two shifts per month but we work around anyone's schedule."
Bush says VON asks volunteers to set aside a two-hour window for the Meals on Wheels program.
She says volunteers deliver the meals which takes about 45 minutes to one hour depending on the number of stops on the route.
According to VON Windsor-Essex, the services "provide care and companionship to seniors and adults with disabilities in our community."
VON says without volunteers, the programs "struggle to meet the growing demand, leaving vulnerable individuals at risk of isolation and loss of independence."