This Ties That Bind Us is sponsored by Matt The Carpet Guy.
LEWES, Del. - Long before lunchtime, the kitchen supporting the Lewes-Rehoboth chapter of Meals on Wheels is already busy.
The day begins at 7 a.m., when volunteers arrive to prepare hundreds of meals so they can be packed and ready for delivery by 11 a.m.
Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth tells CoastTV that meal deliveries will not take place Monday because of the winter storm, and officials said it remains unclear whether deliveries will resume Tuesday.
All of the drivers are volunteers, and many say the deliveries provide something just as important as nutrition: human connection. “They’re always looking for a little conversation, and we give it to them,” said volunteer driver Gil Hofheimer.
We rode along with Hofheimer, who has been volunteering for more than six years. He now knows his route and the people on it by heart, greeting many clients by name as he delivers their meals.
Mike Grillo, who has volunteered for five years, said the impact goes beyond filling plates. “Most of these people are by themselves and really anxious to talk to somebody,” Grillo said. “To me, that’s probably as important as the food.”
For many volunteers, the program is about more than delivering lunch. It is about offering companionship and building relationships throughout the community.
The Lewes-Rehoboth program operates 19 delivery routes each weekday with 19 drivers, totaling more than 300 meal deliveries on a typical day. Co-director Aileen Mateo said the organization relies on a large network of volunteers to keep the program running.
“Our pool of volunteers is about 185,” Mateo said. “We cover Lewes, parts of Milton and Harbeson.”
According to the Lewes-Rehoboth Meals on Wheels website, the nonprofit program was founded in 1970 and was the first Meals on Wheels program in Delaware. Today, it delivers more than 90,000 meals each year to homebound seniors and residents who may not otherwise have access to regular meals.
The organization’s mission is to provide nutritious, home-delivered meals while helping people remain independent in their homes.
For many volunteers, the program is about more than delivering lunch. It is about offering companionship and building relationships throughout the community.