Community Corner
Food Delivery Program Needs Volunteers
Meals on Wheels program treasurer says struggling economy has taken a toll.
Pots and pans clang in an otherwise quiet church basement on Rhode Island Avenue. It’s 11 a.m., still early for some, but College Park Meals on Wheels volunteers have been at work in the kitchen for hours so that elderly and disabled locals receive food that day.
feeds between 40 and 50 people per day in College Park, University Park, Riverdale, Beltsville, Adelphi, and Greenbelt. The program charges $5 per day for three meals.
In University Park, the program serves six people, while in Riverdale, they serve seven people.
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According to treasurer Lisa Ealley, the program, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, is in desperate need of volunteers.
“In this economy, we don’t get what we’re used to getting,” Ealley said.
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She said escalating food costs, unemployment, and gasoline prices are deterrents for potential volunteers to donate, prepare, pack, and deliver food.
Some prospective clients can’t even afford that.
“It bothers us a lot. We do the best we can, but it bothers us,” Ealley said.
People who qualify for the program are unable to prepare food themselves. Most clients are elderly and disabled.
“Some people have no family in the area, and can't go to the store or go out. When our drivers come, that's the highlight of their days,” Ealley said.
She said some volunteers have even had to call an ambulance for clients. “We are their lifeline,” she said.
One volunteer, Olivia Booth, 16, of College Park, has been helping out for the past three years.
“It not only gets you service hours, it lets you be interactive with your community,” Booth said. “Plus, it’s fun.”
The roster of volunteers, from high school students to retirees, includes about 90 people, but most days, only about half a dozen are able to show up.
Some days, it’s even less.
Despite the shortage of volunteers, Ealley and the College Park Meals on Wheels team are seeking additional clients who need help.
“We get great satisfaction from doing what we're doing. It just makes you feel good,” Ealley said.
College Park Meals on Wheels operates out of College Park United Methodist Church on 9601 Rhode Island Ave. Those interested in donating, preparing, packing and delivering food should contact Lisa Ealley at l_ealley@msn.com or call 301-474-1002.