Every weekday in our community, a simple knock at the door means more than a hot meal for that resident in need; it means someone checked in on them, and someone cared enough to be there.
And when that knock doesn’t come — someone notices that, too, said Linn Hogg, Meals On Wheels of Barton County director. Meals On Wheels relies on local volunteers to deliver meals to homebound seniors who can’t shop or cook for themselves, and there is an urgent need for more of these caring volunteers to come forward.
“These are neighbors who have worked, raised families, paid taxes, and quietly built the community we enjoy today,” she said. “For many of them, the Meals On Wheels driver is the only person they will see all day.”
But currently, the number of seniors needing meals outpaces the number of volunteers available to deliver them, she said.
“We have current routes that need volunteers and seniors on the waiting list for routes that need to be started,” Hogg said.
“It’s easy to assume ‘someone else will do it,’” Hogg said. “But when everyone thinks that, meals sit waiting, and seniors sit alone, wondering if they were forgotten. The need doesn’t disappear but the service gap grows wider.”
Volunteering with Meals On Wheels of Barton County doesn’t require special skills or a big time commitment, she said. Routes are short and schedules are flexible.
“What matters most is being there.” she said. “If you’re able to give even an hour a week, you can make sure a neighbor eats—and knows they still matter.”
Hogg said, “the truth is simple: If we don’t deliver the meals, no one else will.”
To learn more or sign up to volunteer, contact Volunteers In Action of Central Kansas at 620-792-1614.