a COOL service

From serving only five senior citizen clients back in 1970 to serving close to 50 daily, the Zelienople, PA Meals on Wheels program recently celebrated 40 years in providing residents of local communities with a much needed and appreciated service.

Barbara Kaufman, operations chairwoman, has been volunteering since the program's inception, "I started when I was in my 20's, I started the program back in 1970 and stayed with it." She also explains that the program just doesn't serve the elderly anymore, "Our youngest client was a 21-year-old blind diabetic."

The steady increase of clients is attributed to the program's huge base of volunteers, which is close to 125 today. The program has a variety of volunteers with some who have been participating since the start and are now older then a lot of their clients. Mae Wagner, 90, expresses that she is blessed to be healthy enough to be able to continue her service, "I've been there from the start, I've delivered to quite a few clients younger than me and I'll probably be doing this for a while."

Those serviced by the long running program continue to be grateful for its inception many years ago. Helen Schott, 80, states that the program has provided her with a very important lifeline, "I just depend on them a lot, they're wonderful, really nice people. I've gotten to know a lot of them, I really don't know what I'd do without it."

Here's to you volunteers at the Zelienople, PA Meals on Wheels program and other Meals on Wheels programs around the world for not only providing meals to those in need but for also providing a much needed lifeline to them throughout the week-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of the Meals on Wheels program in your neighborhood? Do you volunteer or know someone that does? If so, for how long have you or the person(s) you know been volunteering and what do you get out of it?