Making A Difference: Meals on Wheels

Imagine not knowing where your next meal will come from. It’s a reality for some seniors living on the central coast.

Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley, Janine Robinette said, “To think that there are people that don’t have enough food to eat, you almost can’t imagine it. Since 1972, Meals on Wheels has delivered nutritional meals to home bound seniors.”

Each week, volunteers deliver nutritious meals to frail, elderly and disabled adults who cant shop or cook for themselves; including volunteers, Bill and Darlene Clevenger.

“We have 17-20 routes. The drivers come in and we put them all in order. We probably serve 200-300 meals a week. That’s a lot of people! If the person they go to needs three boxes ,we select the boxes and the routes so they know exactly how many boxes to pull and deliver” says Bill and Darlene.

For more than two decades combined, this husband and wife duo have volunteered their time, to make sure those in need don’t go hungry.

“There’s a thin line between my age and their age. I could be in need myself in the very near future. So to be able to go out and help folks that can’t go out and get groceries for themselves is awesome” says Bill.

I’m grateful that I have a loving family, but not everyone does. So I’m just trying to give them what I can” says Darlene.

To learn more about how to make a donation or volunteer for Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley, visit them online at http://mowsalinas.org.