Lawrence Meals on Wheels recently celebrated its 20th year with a luncheon for its volunteers.
By: Lea Kahn
Helen Dempsey does it because she enjoys visiting the elderly. Pat Bedson likes the other volunteers with whom she works. Al and Sandy Pollack do it because it makes them feel good to help someone else.
These were just a handful of the reasons Lawrence Township Meals on Wheels volunteers gave for doing what they do.
They were among the 30 or so volunteers who were feted last week at the program’s 20th anniversary luncheon at the Slackwood Presbyterian Church on Brunswick Pike.
Mrs. Dempsey has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels since the beginning, back in 1982. She said she heard about the program from fellow congregants at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church.
"Some members of the church joined," said Mrs. Dempsey. "The main reason I did it was because my church is involved with it."
Mrs. Dempsey said the experience has opened the door to a host of new friendships.
"I always got along well with older people," she said. "Some of them have interesting stories to tell. The people are so nice. It’s like they are another friend. They practically fall over themselves to thank you not that we look for thanks."
Meals on Wheels clients are grateful for the small amount of time that the volunteers may spend with them, Mrs. Dempsey said. It’s an outlet for those who may not see anyone else all day long, she said.
"My favorite part is getting to the house and greeting the person and delivering the food," she said. "Sometimes, you give them a hug. People need to be touched it’s really the human contact. I hope it means something to them."
Mrs. Bedson is a 14-year veteran of Meals on Wheels. She learned about the program through her church, but did not volunteer until after she saw how her neighbor had been helped through the program.
"One of our jobs is to make sure the people we visit are all right," said Mrs. Bedson. "The first time I went out alone, I went to a lady’s house. I saw some leftover meals outside. I looked inside the window, and the lady was on the floor."
She then immediately called help for the client.
Mrs. Bedson also enjoys meeting new people through Meals on Wheels volunteers and clients. All of the volunteers have the same attitude they just want to help someone else, she said.
"Helping others is what it is all about," Mrs. Bedson said. "We get far more out of it than anyone else. Anybody who does volunteer work gets more out of it than the people do. The people appreciate it, but we get a lot more out of it."
Mrs. Pollack began volunteering with Meals on Wheels after she retired in 1987, and her husband joined her upon his retirement.
"I used to work in a nursing home in administration," Mrs. Pollack said. "My feeling always was, if you could make somebody’s day a little bit better, it’s a good thing. That feeling carried through to the Meals on Wheels program."
It’s rewarding give to someone who needs and appreciates the attention, she said.
It doesn’t take too much time to volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and it’s a nice feeling to be able to do something, Mr. Pollack said.
And it’s nice to know that such a program is available, should the volunteers need help themselves later on, Mrs. Pollack and Mrs. Bedson agreed.
For more information about Lawrence Township Meals on Wheels, call 895-1073.