Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albemarle has expanded its services to the Nellysford-Afton area in Nelson County, including Wintergreen.
Call 434-293-4364 to sign up or to simply get your questions answered.
If you need meals…
Anyone in this part of Nelson County [map] can now get help from Meals on Wheels if they are having difficulty accessing or preparing food and would benefit from having nutritious meals delivered to their door.
Those needing services from Meals on Wheels can go online to apply at cvillemeals.org/apply.
MOW recommends, however, that those needing meals–or those knowing someone in the area who needs meals–should start the process by simply calling 434-293-4364 to sign up or get their questions answered.
There is no checklist of specific criteria that Meals on Wheels has in determining who qualifies for their services, says Susan Morville, who reviews the applications at the Meals on Wheels office in Charlottesville.
Income does not matter. “If you have a million dollars, you can still use our services,” Morville insists. Prices are no more than $7 a meal, but offering clients financial assistance is not unusual for MOW, when meal prices are as low as zero.
Meals on Wheels does not ask clients who have difficulty accessing or preparing meals to have their needs verified by a doctor or anyone else. There can be good reasons other than an illness or a physical handicap to need MOW’s services.
Nor is age a factor, as long as you’re over 18. “We have clients right now as young as 30,” Morville reports.
What if you know of someone who has something such as hip replacement surgery scheduled and will need meals afterward for several weeks? “Yes, absolutely. We love it when people plan ahead and contact us beforehand,” says Morville.
Read more about MOW’s clients here.
If you want to get involved as a volunteer…
"We have reached the number of volunteers needed to get started. That was the first step in bringing this important service to our area," reports Linda Harrington of Here to Stay in Wintergreen, which is the local organization working with Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albermarle along with volunteers with Rockfish Valley Community Center, Rockfish Presbyterian Church, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
As the new program grows, more help will be needed. The area Meals on Wheels has a training video and the volunteer manual on its website along with an online form to get involved. Here to Stay in Wintergreen can also answer questions emailed to admin@heretostaywtg.org.
“Organizations working together like this can make a huge impact on the community,” says Harrington. “From its beginning, Here to Stay in Wintergreen has aimed to cooperate and coordinate with proven programs.”
Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Rt 250 in Greenwood will be a delivery center for the area, along with RVCC. Volunteers will pick up the meals in refrigerated bags supplied by Meals on Wheels to deliver to area households.
Meals on Wheels offers our homebound neighbors a chance for friendly social interaction, a reminder to eat or even to get out of bed, a safety check to make sure nothing is wrong, and a message that their community really cares. Learn more here.
"The large number of details involved in taking on this job requires careful management. Our local Meals on Wheels is bringing our community an outstanding package of services. It including a required training program for volunteers making the deliveries. Here to Stay in Wintergreen is honored to be part of this effort locally,” says Harrington.