Home Delivered Meals
Meals on Wheels
The Home Delivered Meals program is one of the services provided by the Athens Community Council on Aging. The Home Delivered Meals program helps foster independent living and prevents premature or unnecessary institutionalization of disabled and older adults.
We are able to provide three types of meals; hot, frozen, and shelf stable meals. All the meals delivered are designed to provide one-third of an adult’s daily nutritional requirements and are suitable for diabetic diets. Menus are developed by a Registered Dietician and prepared according to the nutritional needs of older adults.
Barrow County Home Delivered Meals
In order to be eligible to receive Home Delivered Meals in our Barrow County program, a person must reside in Barrow County and be at least 18 years of age and have either a physical or mental disability that prevents him/her from doing meal preparation. Potential clients must be a recipient of services under the Community Care Services program or SOURCE program, both of which are funded by Medicaid. If an individual is not eligible for the Medicaid funded meals we do offer services through our private pay program. Clients who privately pay will be assessed a sliding fee scale price per meal. Please call us directly for more information.
A hot noon meal is provided Monday through Friday. Frozen and/or shelf stable meals may also be provided for evenings and weekends to those people who need additional nutritional support. In Barrow County, we deliver approximately 35-45 hot meals per day and 50-60 frozen meals. It takes a team of 30 volunteers to complete weekly delivery.
Clarke County Home Delivered Meals
In order to be eligible to receive Home Delivered Meals in our Clarke County program, a person must reside in Athens-Clarke County and be at least 18 years of age and have either a physical or mental disability that prevents him/her from doing meal preparation. There are several ways a client can become part of the Athens Home Delivered Meals program. We suggest that all interested individuals contact out office directly so we can help you determine your eligibility for services.
A hot noon meal is provided Monday through Friday. Frozen and/or shelf stable meals may also be provided for evenings and weekends to those people who need additional nutritional support. In Clarke County, we deliver approximately 180-190 hot meals per day. Additionally, we deliver approximately 100 frozen meals each day to supplement evening and weekend meals for nutritionally at-risk clients. It takes a team of over 130 volunteers to complete weekly delivery.
Volunteer Opportunities
All meals are delivered by volunteers who are specifically trained in at least one meal route. There are two types of volunteers in the Home Delivered Meals program. Regular volunteers typically commit to meal delivery one day per week. Substitute volunteers are those people unable to commit to a specific day but are still interested in helping on an as-needs basis. Substitute volunteers are trained in at least one route and deliver when the regular volunteer is otherwise unable to do so. To become a volunteer, individuals must have a valid driver’s license, use their own vehicle for delivery and pass a criminal background check. We ask that all volunteers make a commitment of at least five months.
For each new volunteer, an initial orientation is held in the office with the Home Delivered Meals Program Coordinator. On the day of the week the volunteer has chosen, the Program Coordinator, Program Specialist or another volunteer familiar with the route accompanies the new volunteer during delivery. During the initial route training, the new volunteer is instructed on directions to the client’s home, trained in the delivery procedure and introduced to each client. The new volunteer will be accompanied on the route as many times as needed until the volunteer is comfortable enough to take it alone. Volunteers are never sent out without complete orientation and training.
All meals are prepared, packaged and ready for pick up when the volunteers arrive each morning. Volunteers can arrive at the office anytime between 10-11:30am to pick up their food and deliver their assigned route. Most meal routes take 1-1 ½ hours to complete. Those volunteers aged 55 and older are automatically signed up with the Council on Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.). Through this program volunteers hours count not only for the Home Delivered Meals Program, but also for R.S.V.P.
Thank you!
To the following for all of your help...
