Volunteers Needed For Tulsa's Meals On Wheels

By Jamie McGriff, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's Meals on Wheels program is stepping up efforts to get more volunteers to help this summer.

The agency says there are areas that are hurting more than others and volunteers are critical.

A spokesperson says areas hit hardest are in western and northern part of the city of Tulsa.

The agency does not have many people who are paid, so volunteers are the heart of the organization. It doesn't matter if it's packaging food or delivering the food, it's all done by volunteers.

And without them, Meals on Wheels wouldn't survive.

So Meals on Wheels is kicking off its Summer Servings Program.

Susan Williams tells The News On 6, having extra people volunteering would allow the regular volunteers to take a break every now and then, without worrying about who will feed their clients while their gone.

"I think that the core of volunteers that began this program several years ago are getting to the age of major retirement issues themselves and it's a matter of bringing in new people who are engaged in helping the community," said Susan Williams.

Meals on Wheels is hoping that more parents will bring their children along. They say kids bring a fresh approach to the delivery of the meals.

Teachers can also help over the summer months.

Williams says the clients depend on volunteers for food.

"They often will look to the day and time of day that the volunteers bring the food to them and often that is maybe their only contact with the outside world," said Susan Williams.

Meals on Wheels is located at 12620 East 31st Street and serves not only homebound clients in Tulsa, but in Broken Arrow, Jenks, Glenpool and Owasso.

The Summer Servings Program starts in May and goes through August.

For more information you can call 627-4103.