Volunteers Deliver Smiles One Meal at a Time

By Cheryl Collins

What’s it like to be involved with ?

We have been the lucky recipients of many hand-crocheted doilies and potholders from Ms. Eula Mae, whose hands were always busy with a ball of yarn. Ms. Mary blessed us many times over, especially when it was raining. 

Ms. Lena loves to show us her family photo album. She may forget that we’ve already seen it, but she can certainly remember the details of her youth. We’ve known Mr. and Mrs. S. (name omitted at family's request) for years. She nursed him back to health after a debilitating stroke, so it was quite sad when she died, leaving him behind and still in a wheelchair.

These folks are our clients, and we are the volunteers who have had the pleasure of helping them. When someone is housebound, it’s nice for them to open the door to a hot lunch and a smile.

We provide clients with nutritious meals, which are customized to a wide variety of dietary needs, at lunchtime Monday through Friday. Our aim is to ensure their well-being through daily personal contact. Hopefully this enables them to remain in their own homes and community for as long as possible.

Delivery of the meals each month takes a crew of over 75 dedicated volunteers, who come from all walks of life. We have retirees, husband-and-wife teams who deliver together, stay-at-home moms, and some volunteers who work and use their lunch hour to deliver. 

Many of our volunteers have been delivering for years. Some deliver only once a month; others can do it more frequently. The common thread is their concern for others. On their assigned day, they pick up the prepared meals and drive a pre-arranged route to the clients’ homes. Deliveries usually take about an hour.

Begun in 1979, Norcross Meals on Wheels is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization serving the Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Duluth and Lilburn areas. 

We receive no government funds and depend solely on private, church, and community support. Some clients pay for their meals; others pay a portion based upon what they can afford. Some clients have sponsors who cover the cost of their meals. Meals cost $3.50. No age restrictions apply.

For information on donating to the program, volunteering to deliver meals, or request delivery of meals, please contact the Meals on Wheels Program Coordinator Rochelle Stone at 678-788-3358 or via email at coordinator@norcrossmealsonwheels.org.  Also visit the Meals on Wheels website for more information www.norcrossmealsonwheels.org.   

Bio: Cheryl Collins is a Peachtree Corners resident and a Meals on Wheels voluteer. She currently serves as the organization's chairperson and treasurer. She and her husband also own and operate Collins Project Management located in Peachtree Corners.