Meals on Wheels in western Garfield County celebrates 50 years of service

Grand River Meals on Wheels is celebrating 50 years of delivering meals to seniors across western Garfield County.

The program’s records date to 1976, when hospital and church volunteers began delivering meals to residents in their homes 

“Our records start in 1976, but it may have been going on before that,” said Kaaren Peck, director of volunteer services. “It was organized by hospital and church volunteers, and the different churches used to do different days, like the Lutherans would do Tuesdays and the Catholics would do Fridays. The Catholic Church actually still helps out.” 

Peck has been in her role for nearly 20 years. When she started, Melas on Wheels had three routes, serving Parachute, Rifle and Silt.

The communities were smaller at the time, serving around 1,000 to 3,000 meals depending on the year. As it’s grown, so has the number of routes.

“We have seven total now, we’ve added New Castle to the towns we serve, and we’ve served just under one third of a million meals since 1976,” Peck said. “We didn’t even stop during COVID because we couldn’t: those people still needed meals.”

The program now has about 100 active volunteers, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s. More than 1,000 people have volunteered with the program over the past 50 years.

“Our oldest volunteer was 99 and they passed away in the spring,” Peck said. “We’ve had students step up and there was a waiting list that started after COVID.”

The further west you go, Peck said, the greater the need. 

“We’ve opened up our third route to Parachute just this September because they need it,” Peck said. “For every dollar spent on Meals on Wheels, 500 is saved in that community in Medicare costs, because food keeps people strong and they don’t need to go into the hospital or to a nursing home.”

Meals on Wheels has operated through Grand River Health for all 50 years, with meals prepared in the health system’s kitchens.

“We get the food from the kitchens out of Grand River Health,” Peck said. “It’s a substantial meal and there’s different options.”

Grand River Meals on Wheels serves an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Peck said, requiring volunteers to travel into some of the more remote parts of western Garfield Coutnty.

“We try to be accommodating to people who are up Divide Creek and Mamm Creek and it can be an adventure,” Peck said. “One of our volunteers had a bear in a tree next to a house they were delivering to and one delivered through a cattle drive north of Silt. It keeps people on their feet.”

The deliveries also provide clients with regular social interaction.

“Our volunteers really get to know the clients on their routes, they spend time with them, talk with them, and I think they fall in love with their clients in a way,” Peck said. “We’ve had really interesting clients, a prima ballerina from New York with one leg, a man who helped develop the Hubble Telescope. 10-15% of our clients are in their 90s and living at home on their own.”

Volunteers can sign up for routes based on their availability. Four of the program’s seven routes take provided vehicles. 

“We also give volunteers meal tickets so they can have a meal and we reimburse gas,” Peck said. “It can be a financial hit to drive 40-50 miles a day for a route, especially for a senior.”

The program has also begun providing pet food once a month called Portions for Pets. Colorado Animal Rescue provides about one-third to one-half of the pet food the program needs, Peck said.

“We always love to have new volunteers, especially with our new route in Parachute,” Peck said. “If you live in Parachute, we may transport meals to the rest stop there so you can pick it up and then do your route, so volunteers don’t have to drive to Rifle and then back to Parachute.”

Grand River Meals on Wheels will celebrate its volunteers with a gala Sept. 18 at the Grand River Health ballroom.

“We’re going to announce volunteers of the year and have dinner, it’s to honor everyone, whether they’re new or veterans,” Peck said. “I have a category of volunteers who have been delivering for 20 years or more and I was surprised to see we have around a dozen people in that category, which is longer than I’ve been doing it.”

To become a volunteer, applicants will go through the same steps as a new employee for the hospital, including a background check. Peck also said applicants must have a good driving record with no tickets in the last three years and must be at least 18 years of age. 

To apply to volunteer, visit grandriverhealth.org/.

Original reporting from postindependent.com