Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver holiday cheer

This week, four corporate teams are joining our regularly scheduled Meals on Wheels volunteers to help spread some extra holiday cheer in our community.

The first team, made up of staff from RBC, spent Tuesday morning packaging homemade cookies prepared by the bakers at Café Marie. These cookie packages will be delivered alongside this week’s meals by volunteers, including teams from Cape Breton University, Scotiabank and Syd Skoots.

“Offering a small gift or treat over the holidays is a way we show our care and appreciation for the people we serve,” said Meals on Wheels Manager, Sara Roth.

“It’s a way of letting them know they have a community of support who care not only for their nutritional needs, but for their overall wellbeing.”

This year’s holiday cookie packages were made possible thanks to funding from the NSLC Community Fund, supporting client well-being and social connection during the holiday season.

Each year, Meals on Wheels serves more than 20,000 meals,  made possible through the dedication and generosity of more than 100 volunteers. Every week, about 35 volunteers deliver meals and offer a friendly check-in to seniors and others in our community who face challenges with nutrition and social isolation.

Holiday volunteering is just one way workplaces can get involved. The Adopt-a-Route Program offers a meaningful, year-round opportunity for businesses and groups to make a positive impact by taking responsibility for one delivery route per week.

Employees deliver in teams of two, with a commitment of just 1.5 hours per month. Over the course of a year, each group delivers approximately 600 meals and provides friendly check-ins to as many as 100 seniors. As an added benefit, research shows employee volunteering can boost job satisfaction and morale while encouraging teamwork and strong communication.

“Meals on Wheels delivery happens weekdays between 2PM and 4PM, which is a challenge for prospective volunteers who work regular business hours. When we invite corporate teams to deliver meals as part of Adopt-a-Route or for special activities like packing holiday cookies, they get to volunteer as part of their workday, connect as a team, and provide much-needed service in our community,” Sara Roth said.

To register your company or group for the Adopt-a-Route Program, or to learn more about special activities and other volunteer opportunities, call the Meals on Wheels office at 902-562-1245 or email [email protected].

In addition to the time employees spent volunteering, RBC also made a generous holiday donation of $1,500 to Meals on Wheels, helping to further support our programs and the people we serve.

Meals on Wheels provides nutritious, affordable, ready-to-eat meals delivered directly to the doorsteps of seniors and others in our community who are unable to prepare meals for themselves, helping people live well — and longer — in their own homes.

Serving Sydney and surrounding areas, Meals on Wheels is responding to a growing need for accessible, healthy food. Poverty and food insecurity are rising across Canada, and food prices in Nova Scotia are expected to increase by more than 6 percent next year. In the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, nearly one in four seniors lives in poverty, placing many at heightened risk of chronic food insecurity.

As a charitable organization, Meals on Wheels relies on community support to continue this vital work. With your help, we can do even more to reduce food insecurity and support seniors and others in our community to age with dignity, independence, and comfort. Please consider making a one-time donation or turning your gift into a monthly contribution —  it’s the gift that keeps on giving, and a meaningful way to share the holiday spirit.

• 42,000 meals prepared and delivered
• Meal service doubled in the past two years (20,000 meals in 2023)
• 100+ volunteers
• 4,250 volunteer hours
• 1,950 delivery routes
• 368 unique individual clients served
• Expanded to 3 new geographic communities in CBRM
• $30,000 in urgent food and essentials distributed
• $70,000 of affordability initiatives (subsidies) issued