When I hear the word commitment, I normally think about going to the gym three-days-a-week, or making sure that I have enough vegetables in my diet. This week, I learned a whole other meaning of the word when I joined the ranks of Canadian Red Cross Meals on Wheels volunteers in Etobicoke.
Many of the volunteers I met have been volunteering for a long time. When I say a long time, I don’t mean several months, I mean many years. My mentor Eddie was a 20 year veteran. Another volunteer I met, Jean Molsher, has been devoting her time to Meals on Wheels for 22 years. As an Etobicoke resident born and raised, she became a volunteer to give back to the community that she knows so well.
Volunteer Bob Tress’ home is also in Etobicoke , and so are the homes that he built for others. Before he retired, Bob helped build 150 homes in the community. Now he’s gone from building homes to providing meals to those in need. Coincidentally, one of his current clients moved into a house 57 years-ago that he built. He has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for 9 years, and volunteers five-days-a-week, every week.
There were some younger faces amongst the volunteers. One young man I met, Eligio, is volunteering his time, while studying to be a police officer.
Regardless of age or experience, all the volunteers I met are so committed to Meals on Wheels because they know it makes a difference in the lives of people in need in their community. I really enjoyed meeting all of them, and hearing their stories about why they like to volunteer so much. I learned a lot from each of them.
Are you a Meals on Wheels volunteer? If so, why do you volunteer?
Check out this short interview with Frank and Graeme, two Meals on Wheels volunteers from the Islington Kiwanis group, about why they think the program is so important to the community.
If you are interested in getting involved contact your local Red Cross branch.