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Meals on Wheels has seen a sharp increase in demand in northwestern Vermont during the coronavirus pandemic as society is isolating to limit the spread of the virus.
AgeWell, the organization that operates Meals on Wheels in Chittenden, Addison, Grand Isle and Franklin counties, is seeing a daily increase in demand, said Tracey Shamberger, AgeWell’s director of public relations and business development.
More than 150 people have started receiving Meals on Wheels after the start of the virus, Shamberger said. As a whole, the organization is distributing just over 1,000 meals a day.
“Every day what we’re seeing is the increased need for Meals on Wheels in particular, as many seniors can’t get out or don’t want to get out, the need has become great,” she said.
For example, in Burlington, the organization served over 600 more meals in March 2020 than March 2019, serving 6,799 meals in March 2020 compared to 6,163 meals in March 2019. This represents a 10% increase.
Eligibility guidelines for meals, which are funded through federal and state funds and donations, have been relaxed during the virus, Shamberger said. The state waived eligibility criteria that stated recipients had to have been unable to leave their homes without difficulty or assistance.
AgeWell is working with the other Meals on Wheels providers across the state to access additional federal funding, Shamberger said. The organization is also seeking additional donations to help cover the costs, she said, and those interested in donating can do so on the organization’s website.
“Right now we are putting the pedal to the metal in terms of fundraising to be able to cover our increased costs,” Shamberger said.
Meals on Wheels has also changed its procedures in delivering meals to help limit the possible spread of virus. Instead of entering the person’s home, those delivering the meals leave them at the doorstep or on a plastic bag, Shamberger said.
Volunteers are also wearing gloves while fulfilling the deliveries, she said, and are starting to distribute multiple meals in one delivery.
The organization is also adjusting to losing some of its normal delivery corps as the organization’s average volunteer is 70 years old, Shamberger said. The organization normally has just over 1,000 volunteers, and around 100 of them have temporarily stopped participating during the pandemic.
Shamberger said that 181 new volunteers have joined the organization to meet the need, many of them younger.
“People have been stepping up like it’s no one’s business,” she said. “There have been a ton of new volunteers that have stepped forward, younger volunteers, people who have been laid off, which is incredibly generous.”
AgeWell has streamlined its onboarding process to get volunteers ready to contribute faster, and has redirected some staff members to the Meals on Wheels program as demand grows.
“We have absolutely shifted our focus,” Shamberger said. “We still are being able to utilize our staff, they’re just not doing the things they would normally do in the past because of the greatest need.”
Caroline Duksta, a 2019 graduate of the University of Vermont, started volunteering with Meals on Wheels two weeks ago after she was laid off from her job as a technician at an ophthalmology practice in South Burlington.
Duksta said that she was studying for the medical school admission test but was looking for something else to fill her time after she found herself unemployed.
“Food security is something that’s really important to me,” Duksta said. “I was honestly worried about how people would get access to meals with all of this, ‘stay inside, don’t go outside.’”
Duksta said that because most Meals on Wheels volunteers are older, having younger people volunteer allows the organization to continue its important service while protecting the retirees who normally volunteer.
“We do have a retired population of volunteers, and those are the people who are at risk right now,” Duksta said. “Getting more people to help out right now is huge, because we can help the people who probably have pressure from their families to stay home.”
At AgeWell, Duksta volunteers as a hub greeter, where she organizes meals for drivers and will pick up routes if drivers do not show up for their normal route. Duksta said she is proud that she is making a difference.
“I do it to help others, but it gives me a very warm feeling inside to see how I am helping other people,” she said. “It makes a huge difference for others.”
