Meals on Wheels in Wichita may stop taking new clients amid volunteer shortage. How to help
The Meals on Wheels program in Wichita is in desperate need of volunteers to help deliver free, hot weekday meals at lunchtime to homebound and isolated senior citizens in the area.
Senior Services of Wichita said Wednesday that “extremely low volunteer numbers” and razor-thin staffing have forced the program to consider “placing a temporary hold on adding new clients until we can catch up.”
“Right now delivering up to 850 meals may be unrealistic given limited manpower from both staff and volunteers,” Laurel Alkire, executive director of Senior Services of Wichita, said in a press release pleading for help amid statewide volunteer shortages. Wichita has one of Kansas’ largest Meals on Wheels programs, the release says.
Currently, the Wichita program delivers around 750 to 850 meals each weekday, according to the release.
But for months, between 10 and 15 delivery routes have been open daily, with the lack of volunteers.
Program staff members have filled open routes. But that takes away from their ability to provide other vital services to seniors in need, according to the release.
The program says it’s down two full-time employees and is currently functioning with only eight workers, many part-time.
“When staff members have to take routes the program can fall behind on assessing current and new clients,” Alkire said in the release. “Delivery routes can take 90 minutes to 2 hours. Staff members often return to the office around 2 p.m. giving them very little time to do home visit assessments.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can fill out an application at www.seniorservicesofwichita.org/mowvolunteer.
Because the Meals on Wheels program works with vulnerable members of the community in their homes, all volunteers must pass a reference check and attend a brief orientation. Meals are typically delivered between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
For more information about the program, visit www.seniorservicesofwichita.org/meals-on-wheels or call 316-267-0122.
