By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
For someone whose mobility is limited or who has just been released from the hospital, preparing a meal is a challenge.
That’s when the Lawrence Meals on Wheels program steps into the picture. Its volunteers seek to provide one hot meal a day.
About 30 Lawrence Township residents are taking advantage of the program, but Joyce Stilwell would like to see more people sign up for it. She is the executive director of the Lawrence Meals on Wheels program.
The program, which costs $22.50 per week or $4.50 per meal, delivers five hot lunches to participants on weekdays, Ms. Stilwell said. A typical meal consists of a salad, an entrée, a roll, a vegetable, a starch, milk or juice, and a dessert. The menu varies on a three-week cycle, so there is some variety.
The meals, which are prepared at the Mercer ARC facility in Ewing Township, are tailored to the participant’s dietary needs, she said. A diabetic’s special dietary needs, for example, differ from those who are not diabetics.
The majority of the clients are elderly, and many are homebound, she said. There are some clients who are able to get out of the house, but they are unable to cook. In some cases, the client’s children make arrangements so their parent won’t have to cook.
”We get a lot of referrals (from hospitals or rehabilitation facilities),” she said. Sometimes, a client who has been released from a hospital needs help for two or three weeks because he or she is unable to cook or “get around,” but others have been enrolled for years, she added.
”We also get calls from children to enroll their (elderly) parent. They work, and they are concerned about their parent. They know their parent will get a hot meal, or if there is no answer at the door, the volunteer will check on their welfare,” she said.
Sometimes, the client will ask the volunteer to come in when he or she delivers the meal, Ms. Stilwell said. The volunteer may be the only human contact that the client has, and the client is often very lonely, she said.
While the program is designed to deliver five hot meals per week, some clients opt for three-times-per-week delivery, Ms. Stilwell said. Sometimes, it’s a matter of money. The Meals on Wheels program can assist low-income recipients, but it is handled on a case-by-case basis, she said.
Persons who are interested in enrolling in the program should contact Ms. Stilwell. She said she visits the home to talk to the client or his or her children to discuss their needs. An appointment can be set up by calling Ms. Stilwell at 609-392-0001.
