Carbonear food bank wants folks with wheels to deliver meals

By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carbonear’s Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help with the Meals on Wheels program.

The food bank took over the responsibility for the long running program last month.

Kaitlin Clarke, the food bank’s communications and outreach coordinator, said NL Health Services reached out to the St. Vincent de Paul Society to ask if it would be interested in taking over Meals on Wheels deliveries in Carbonear.

“Meals on Wheels is a community outreach service,” said Clarke. “It provides low-cost nutritious meals to seniors, adults with disabilities, people who may not be able to purchase or prepare their own meals.”

The food bank’s Meals on Wheels can be delivered anywhere in Carbonear. Once a week, Clarke and one of her co-workers call their existing clients and take their orders for the following week. While the group has a number of people who help with the deliveries, it will need more to accommodate more clients.

The type of meals provided by Meal on Wheels has recently changed. In the past, the meals were hot and newly made. However, as food bank chairperson Kerri Abbott explained, that forced drivers to rush their deliveries in hopes of getting them to people before the meals cooled. It also posed a potential risk of the delivery people getting burned by the hot dishes.

Now the program if offering what it calls ‘Steamplicity’ meals. “

They made this change to be able to offer more flexibility, variety, and choice, and make it a little bit more personalized for the clients,” added Clarke.

Steamplicity meals are pre-made and requires clients to heat them up after delivery. Clarke said they come in many varieties, including chicken alfredo, meatballs and barbecue sauce, roast turkey dinners, fishcakes, and more. The fishcakes are particularly popular meal, according to Clarke.

Carbonear General Hospital also offers Steamplicity meals to patients.

“Anytime that anybody doesn’t avail of a meal at the hospital, they will notify us through Second Harvest, which is a food rescue program,” said Clarke. “And we will go over and pick up any leftover meals and then we’re able to bring them here and distribute them through the food bank.”

Second Harvest connects food banks and other food charities with establishments such as hospitals, grocery stores, and restaurants which have leftover food. Not only does this help feed more people, but it also reduces food waste.

Abbott noted that in order to be able to honestly promote Steamplicity meals to clients, volunteers at the food bank have tried them as well, and very much enjoyed them.

Clarke added that experience also enabled the volunteers to offer feedback and recommendations to the clients.

Clarke said the volunteers can also advise the recipients which meals are most diabetic-friendly.

The food bank is looking for volunteers to serve as Meals on Wheels delivery drivers.

“We’re able to accommodate anybody’s level of commitment,” said Clarke. “If they want to deliver all the meals, we can accommodate that, or if they just want to do a couple in their area or something, we can also accommodate that, as well.”

While deliveries are made to residents within Carbonear, the food bank would be happy to take volunteers from anywhere if they are willing to come to the town and take a delivery route.

“It’s a really rewarding experience. In just the couple of weeks that we’ve been doing it, we’ve formed relationships with our clients. We’ve gotten to know them. They’re all really lovely and sweet people. So, if you have a couple of hours to give a week, it’s a great opportunity to volunteer,” said Clarke.

And the recipients of the meals are grateful. Recently, Clarke said, she and some co-workers were out shoveling snow as part of another program they offer to help seniors and people with reduced mobility, and when they returned to the food bank, a gentleman who is a client of Meals on Wheels was there plowing the lot for them.

“It’s really heartwarming to see that the work that we do has impacts on people and that they want to give back and help where they can,” said Clarke. “So I think that just speaks to how valuable this program is and how rewarding it can be for the volunteers.”

Anyone interested in volunteering with the food bank’s Meals on Wheels program can call 709-596-5945 or email ssdpcarbonear@gmail.com. The food bank is also welcoming monetary donations to help support the Meals on Wheels program.