Emma Case (00:00):
Welcome to Inside The Senior Alliance, a podcast exploring resources and issues in the field of aging. I’m Emma Case, Planning and Advocacy Specialist at the Area Agency on Aging, serving Southern and Western Wayne County. Joining me today is Art Gawronski, who is a Meals on Wheels volunteer in Canton and Plymouth. Thanks for joining me today, Art.
Art Gawronski (00:18):
You’re welcome. Thanks for having me.
Emma Case (00:19):
Meals On Wheels is a program that delivers meals to home bound older adults who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. There are over 2000 meals delivered across Western and Southern Wayne County. These are delivered with the help of volunteers like Art. Art, how long have you been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels?
Art Gawronski (00:34):
I started volunteering back in January of 2023.
Emma Case (00:38):
And how did you get involved in volunteering?
Art Gawronski (00:40):
After I retired, I was looking for some volunteer opportunities where I could give back to our community and Meals On Wheels happened to be one of those opportunities. So I filled out all the forms and signed up, and the next thing you knew, I was happily working, volunteering for Meals on Wheels in our Canton Plymouth community.
Emma Case (01:02):
What is the typical responsibilities of a volunteer?
Art Gawronski (01:04):
Well, in my humble opinion, volunteering is a commitment to provide time, energy, and resources to support the Meals on Wheels site managers, and providing and delivering nutritious, wholesome meals to those that are home bound and unable to prepare their own meals.
Emma Case (01:23):
What do you do specifically for the meals program?
Art Gawronski (01:26):
I pretty much go in every day and I help prepare the kitchen to receive the food that we will repackage. I also help package that food and then on occasion, as needed, I also deliver meals to those clients.
Emma Case (01:45):
How often do you volunteer a week?
Art Gawronski (01:47):
Pretty much every day. I’ll go in every day because I enjoy the camaraderie of working with the other volunteers, so I’ll go in, I’ll help get the kitchen set up. I’ll help package, repackage the food for our drivers to deliver, and then on occasion as needed, if they need a driver, I’ll also go in, drive and deliver the meals.
Emma Case (02:11):
What drives you to volunteer?
Art Gawronski (02:13):
I want to give back to our community and Meals on Wheels is one way to do that.
Emma Case (02:18):
In your opinion, what’s the best part about being a Meals on Wheels volunteer?
Art Gawronski (02:22):
Oh my gosh, there are so many things. One, the camaraderie of working with the other volunteers and the drivers, and then if I go out and deliver the meals to see the faces of the people that I deliver the meals to, it just their smiles and their bright faces and, you know, in some instances, you’re the only person that they see maybe during the entire day or possibly even the entire week. So to see their happy faces and just to know that, hey, you’re helping out your fellow mankind.
Emma Case (02:54):
Volunteers can come from any aged group community or background, and volunteers may commit to one or more days per week. Meals are delivered Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM across our service area. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and pass a background check. Art, what would you say to somebody who’s considering becoming a Meals on Wheels volunteer?
Art Gawronski (03:14):
Oh my gosh. Please join the team of volunteers that provide meals to those that are home bound, that can’t prepare their own meals, that can’t go and get their own meals. It’s a joy to be able to see the happy faces on the clients that we deliver meals to. By all means, please join the team. It’s a rewarding, I don’t want to say job, but volunteer.
Emma Case (03:38):
Art, thanks for joining me today.
Art Gawronski (03:39):
You’re welcome, and thanks for having me.
Emma Case (03:41):
If you have any questions about our services or programs The Senior Alliance offers, you can call us at 734-722-2830 or email us at info@thesenioralliance.org. Information about our agency or the programs and services we offer can be found on our website at www.thesenioralliance.org. On Facebook, we can be located by searching for The Senior Alliance. Finally, our X, formerly known as Twitter handle, is @AAA1C. Lastly, if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, email seniornutrition@waynecounty.com or call 734-326-5202. I’m Emma Case. Thank you for listening to this episode of Inside The Senior Alliance.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Inside The Senior Alliance is a production of The Senior Alliance and Blazing Kiss Media.
