Providing good, nutritious food and companionship to those who are housebound is the goal of Airdrie's Meals on Wheels organization, according to client liaison Beverley Norman. "Our goal is to assist where possible and where needed," she said. "We're a face coming to the door, which is just what some people need, some days." Meals and Wheels has been a fixture in Airdrie for 35 years and is run entirely by volunteers. Norman said while many of the organization's clients are seniors, others who can't cook or grocery shop for themselves are also cared for by Meals on Wheels. Those who are permanently or temporarily disabled, or who have been impacted by a health issue may also require the service. "Someone might be doing chemo, or they might have broken their arm and can't cook for themselves during that recovery period," she said. Trudy Eyre nominated Meals on Wheels to be featured as an Inspiring Airdrie organization. Eyre said she used the service when she was recovering from surgery. "I couldn't drive my car. I couldn't stand and cook. They just go beyond the system and they're very compassionate," she said. "It doesn't matter what the weather is, they're here at my door. They come in and visit just to make sure you're OK [and] have a chat." Clients pay half the cost of the meals and the remaining amount is subsidized, according to Norman. All meals are prepared and cooked by the licensed chefs at Cedarwood Station Retirement Residence. "They are qualified to deal with dietary needs," Norman said. "For instance, if someone is diabetic, they can cover that." Norman said fundraising makes up a portion of the work volunteers do for the organization, especially as costs continue to rise. "Right now, the cost of containers is going to go up, because of the aluminum tariff that's been put on [by the United States]," she said. "We do get some corporate donations from Airdrie and outside of Airdrie. We get a lot more personal donations. "We're also doing a raffle [for] four different $500 prizes. Tickets are available now from any board member, or at Here's the Scoop, until Oct. 4." Donations are also accepted at both Co-op Liquor Store locations. Meals on Wheels receives funding to support its volunteer program from the City of Airdrie's Family and Community Support Services grant program, according to Norman, but that funding can't be used to buy food or for operational costs. The City approved funding of $20,600 for the organization in 2018. A board of eight oversees the organization's activities, and approximately 35 drivers deliver meals to clients. But Norman said they do so much more than just drop off a hot meal. "For some people, we're the only contact they have during the day or during the week," she said. "Part of our mandate is to make sure we do welfare checks. If we go to deliver a meal and someone isn't home and we can't reach them, we're checking up to make sure they're OK." More information about Meals on Wheels is available online at airdriemealsonwheels.ca
