KINGSTON, Pa. — The staff at Meals on Wheels of Wyoming Valley are hoping to reach more people in need who might not even realize they're eligible.
Seventy-five meals were prepared fresh Thursday morning and ready to get delivered to 75 people who need them. But the staff said they can handle more.
"I was doing a fair at the Kingston Armory years ago, and we had a banner that said 'Meals on Wheels.' And people literally say to me, 'Oh no, I'm not ready for that. I'm not that old!' But we are not just for senior citizens. If you have a 21-year-old college graduate that broke his leg and can't cook, we can help you out for a week, a month, a year, forever," board member Cornelia Romanowski said.
There's no age or income requirement. Meals on Wheels is open to anyone.
"I've had moms call that are overwhelmed and need a month break from cooking, and I sign them on," coordinator Amy Morris said.
Rev. Jane Pykus agreed.
"It's special because it helps people with one of the greatest needs - a meal," Pykus, pastor for Church of Christ Uniting that houses the Meals on Wheels' kitchen, said.
For $6 a day, clients get two meals that are made fresh each morning and delivered to their door every weekday. That adds up to $30 a week.
Clients can ask for a contact-less delivery or a morning catch-up.
"A lot of our clients are so happy to see us, and we have a little chat with them, make sure they're okay. So it's kind of a wellness check as well," board member Patty Kopec said.
At the Wyoming Valley location, the nonprofit is not struggling with volunteers even with the cost of gas that comes out of their own pockets. But they could use a few more clients to keep the cost at 6 bucks a day because they're funded by their own neighbors.
"Without the community donations, I don't know if we could really make it, because the cost of the meals does not equal what the cost of the entire program costs," Morris said.
If you live in the Wyoming Valley and want to sign up for the Meals on Wheels delivery service - call 570-288-1023. For more details on the program, click here. To donate, click here.
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