Feed More’s Meals on Wheels is one of our most recognizable programs and has been a staple in Richmond and the surrounding communities for more than 50 years. Focused on individuals who are homebound and can’t shop or cook for themselves, FeedMore’s Meals on Wheels helps keep senior and disabled neighbors independent and living in their own homes for as long as possible.
The meals
Each meal is made from scratch and customized to the dietary needs of our close to 900 daily recipients. With 14 different therapeutic and medically-appropriate diets available, our Community Kitchen takes pride in the home-cooked options that our recipients have grown to love. From pulled BBQ pork with seasoned greens to turkey meatloaf with gravy to parmesan crusted chicken with smashed vegetables our Community Kitchen does it all and with incredible flavors to boot.
Our Meals on Wheels program even delivers pet food to our recipients with four-legged companions!
Running a route
Volunteers arrive with their coolers at our dispatch sites between 10:30 – 11 a.m. each weekday. Once you’ve checked in with our staff, you’ll be given a route sheet, your coolers will get packed with our nutritious meals and your cars are loaded and ready to go.
Volunteers are provided with detailed turn-by-turn directions, as well as notes with important information to deliver each recipient’s meal successfully. This makes walking up to each door a smooth and pleasant experience for both you and the recipient.
The safety check
Volunteering for our Meals on Wheels program is more than just delivering food. Volunteers provide our recipients with a safety check, making sure they are OK and doing well by taking notice of anything that may be out of the ordinary. While driving your route, you’ll have access to our Meals on Wheels Client Services team to report any issues that you observe during a delivery.
The nitty gritty
If you’re interested in becoming a Meals on Wheels volunteer there are few things you need to know.
First, you need to fill out our volunteer application that includes a background check. Once your background check is all clear, you will receive an official Meals on Wheels orientation.
Second, our meals are delivered Monday through Friday. With each route including anywhere from four to 18 stops, depending on your location, you will need to commit about one to 1.5 hours of your time. We try our utmost to match you with a dispatch site close to you, but appreciate your flexibility and willingness to help us deliver more than a meal!
Third, we are always in need of helping hands for our Meals on Wheels program! We prefer that our volunteers commit to running at least two Meals on Wheels routes a month and if you have the bandwidth, hand delivering our meals once a week is also much appreciated.
Finally, people of all ages are welcome to run a route, but an adult must accompany anyone under the age of 21.
To join FeedMore’s Meals on Wheels volunteer squad, please fill out our volunteer application and a member of our team will be in touch soon!
