Meals On Wheels Seeks Volunteers In Tulsa Metro

Many Oklahomans live each day wondering where their next meal will come from. Meals On Wheels serves about 1,500 people across the Tulsa area. The non-profit spoke with News On 6 to explain how you can help provide meals despite the challenges caused by COVID-19.

Food is universal. We all eat it. We all need it. Many of us enjoy it, and volunteers with Meals On Wheels say delivering food is a labor of love for them. These folks have been on the front lines fighting food insecurity and serving a more vulnerable population within the Greater Tulsa Area.

"They're really looking out for the people who don't really get thought about very often," said Emma Foster, volunteer.

Emma Foster recently graduated college and said she wanted to fill her free time with something meaningful.

"How am I gonna help with this giant pandemic that's like a global thing," said Foster.

Tara Harris is the Director of Volunteer and Delivery Services. She said they've scaled back because of COVID-19 and began delivering a week's worth of frozen meals and non-perishables just once a week to limit contact. However, Harris said now they're ready to get back to volunteer-led home delivery by giving out healthy, hot meals to elderly and disabled individuals during weekdays.

"We're starting, kind of from scratch," said Harris.

Harris said they need to recruit at least 1,000 volunteers to help with meals, wellness check calls and home safety projects.

"During a time like this when there's a lot of social distancing, making that one-on-one contact with someone is, it's just life-changing for them," said Harris.

Driver Cale Parnell said he's just trying to make a day better where he can.

"Everyone that I meet is overjoyed to see us and we're just as overjoyed to see them," said Parnell, part-time and on-call driver.

Meals On Wheels has doubled the number of clients it's serving in the Tulsa Metro since the pandemic started. The nonprofit said it's a great opportunity for college students who are seeking service hours. Foster is providing meals but said the community is serving some perspective.

"It really just puts a smile on my face that even someone going through such a hard time can just still be thankful for anything they're given," said Foster.

Meals On Wheels said volunteers need a vehicle and a smartphone.

Application process: HERE