Every day a dedicated group of volunteers sets out to make sure that seniors and handicapped adults in Vermont receive a nutritious meal, a friendly visit and a safety check. Many seniors live alone and are unable to safely prepare their own food. The Burlington Meals on Wheels program recently celebrated delivering their 2 millionth meal. Many seniors have been able to stay in their own homes instead of going to nursing homes just due to this one program. However, Meals on Wheels is a community commitment. Volunteers coordinate drivers, pick up the food, make the deliveries and check in on seniors to make sure they are ok. Meals on Wheels depends on volunteers who give their time, use their vehicles and buy their own gas in order to make sure that their neighbors are safe and well taken care of.
Since the beginning of Burlington Meals on Wheels the First United Methodist Church has stepped up to make sure that Burlington seniors receive hot nutritious food. Many of these volunteers are retired and looking for a way to give back to their community. Peter Carmolli, Executive Director for Burlington Meals on Wheels, jokes that he tells his volunteers that “once you hit 90, you are allowed to retire.” However one volunteer has chosen not to take Carmolli up on retirement. Russell Chase, of South Burlington, is 96 years old and going strong.
Chase has been coordinating drivers from the First United Methodist Church for nearly 4 years. According to Chase Meals on Wheels are “terribly important, these people are shut-ins, sick and alone and the personal contact is awfully important.” According to Chace Meals on Wheels “lets people stay in their own home, people are grateful for it.”This retired educator says that “most retired people are looking for something meaningful to do.” Chase spends a lot of time on the phone recruiting new volunteers. Not only does Chase recruit and coordinate volunteers but also you will find him behind the wheel making deliveries. Chase plans to deliver for as long as he can exclaiming “I enjoy it, I like the people.”
One member of Chase’s delivery team is Barbara Nadeau, age 74 of Colchester. Nadeau has been delivering for over 10 years. According to Nadeau “it is a good feeling helping people, it is not that hard and you meet great people.” Nadeau knows that for some people she may be the only person they see that day. She says that “some people need to talk, one gentlemen looks forward to us coming, he would chat all day if you let him.” Nadeau plans to deliver for a long as she can because she feels it “ is a really worthwhile thing, a simple way to help a lot of people.”
Radetta Nemcosky, 64 of South Burlington, has been delivering for as long as Burlington Meals on Wheels has been around over 30 years. Now a board member for Burlington Meals on Wheels she still delivers with Chase as her driver. Nemcosky speaks passionately about how she “gets very attached to people on our route.” She has been known to bring birthday and valentine cards to “perk them up”. She talks about how clients sometime ask her what it feels like to be outside since some of them are shut-ins. She has been delivering to some seniors on her route for over 15 years and has a relationship with them. Nemcosky jokes about having only gotten stuck once in the snow, unfortunately at the beginning of their hour plus route.
These volunteers know that the seniors they serve rely on them for the basic necessities of food and human contact. Nemcosky heard that some Melas on Wheels organizations in New York deliver birthday cakes, her next mission is to find bakeries who would donate a cake for her Meals on Wheels recipients because she knows “some people I deliver to have very little contact with family and friends.”
Chase, Nadeau, and Nemcosky are just a few of the dedicated volunteers who work behind the scenes to make sure that no senior goes hungry. According to Carmolli “we always need more volunteers whether it be drivers, runners or people making phone calls.” For more information on volunteer opportunities delivering Meals on Wheels for Burlington Meals on Wheels or an organization in your area call 800-642-5119.
The Top Chef of the Champlain Valley, an Iron Chef Experience
Monday-Aug 18,
6:00pm-8:30pm
UVM’s Davis Center- Burlington
$35 a ticket
865-0360
Cooking competition, gourmet tasting, free wine & beer tasting, live music by Trinity, and a silent auction to benefit Meals on Wheels in the Champlain Valley.
Competing to be Top Chef are:
David Hoene, Pauline’s Café
Sam Palmisano, Pulcinella’s
Connie Jacob Warden, Chow!Bella
Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.
