March 18, 2023
BY SAMANTHA GAMBILL
Catawba County United Way
How does one define the word community?
Is it the people you work with, the people you live close to, the people you relate to?
Or is it the people who help you in your time of need?
According to Dictionary.com a community is, “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common,” or is, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests or goals.”
Meals on Wheels of Catawba County, a United Way funded program, fits both these descriptions. It’s a nutritional program for seniors, offering everything from warm daily meals to monthly frozen meals. It even offers dog and cat food for those who have pets.
And then there is the interaction with others.
One Tuesday a month, the Catawba County United Way staff joins the family of volunteers who deliver meals throughout the week. For CCUW Executive Director Mark Bumgarner, that Tuesday is just a great opportunity to talk to seniors and offer them a smile if they are having a bad day.
“I enjoy being able to go out in the community and helping those who need it,” Kelle Love, CCUW Director of Operations said.
This program is available to all individuals who are over 60 and who are currently living in Catawba County. Recipients must be homebound, and not have any other family members who can provide them with the food they need. It is completely free of charge and does not have any income requirements.
Providing food to the elderly is only one of the ways Meals on Wheels has formed a community among its participants. They have also formed a community through the connections the volunteers have built with the local senior population.
The traditional Meals on Wheels program brings warm meals to individuals four days a week. The meals are dropped off by volunteers around lunch time. These volunteers tend to deliver food to the same people, allowing them to build connections and form relationships with the individuals they are helping.
This is the definition of a community. Helping those around you when they are in need. Meals on Wheels has provided this sense of community to both their volunteers, and the individuals they deliver food to.
For more information about Meals on Wheels or to learn how you can volunteer, go to Catawba County Meals on Wheels. Or call 828-695-5600.
To learn about other Catawba County United Way partners visit THIS LINK.