Meals on Wheels Needs Donations and Volunteers

Last year, Missoula Aging Services’ Meals on Wheels program served over 800 clients in Missoula County. March for Meals is already underway and they are hoping to raise at least $60,000 for older adults.

Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on their services. More people are being forced to stay home and that means more people need food delivered to them. CEO Susan Kohler says they are ready to double the amount of people that they currently serve.

“We will be serving people who are asked to stay home and have no other resource for getting food,” Kohler said. “We can do a home delivered meal program for them. We are also supporting the senior citizen centers in Missoula. We are helping them by offering a grab and go meal or a home delivered meal through Meals on Wheels.”

Meals on Wheels will also deliver to people under the age 60 who have a disability. Kohler says they really need donations and volunteers during this difficult time.

“We are recruiting volunteers to make phone calls to check in on people who have to be isolated in their homes,” Kohler said. “We are also asking for drivers. We are also seeking volunteers for people who need somebody to pick up their medications or groceries. When it gets to that point, we will have volunteers to do that too.”

According to Kohler, Missoula Aging Services has discontinued all non-essential services.

“Staff are not going into the homes of people unless they require personal care, which is a service that helps people with bathing and dressing,” Kohler said. “We will screen those clients in advance to make sure that they don’t have any of the symptoms before we agree to go into the home.”

In addition to that, they are not allowing any walk ins for appointments in the agency. Visit here to donate or volunteer.