There's much more to Meals and Wheels for many of its elderly clients than a lovingly prepared nutritious serving of ready-to-serve food dropped off at their door.
"For a lot of our seniors, the delivery may be one of the few social contacts they have," said Markus Lanz, president of the Sooke branch of Meals on Wheels. "A lot of our clients tell us they don't know what they would do without us."
Meals on Wheels, which is celebrating its 50th year in Sooke, delivers three nutritious meals a week to its clients that include soup, a bun, a meal, and a dessert.
"We're on track for a record year in 2024, with 7,500-plus hot and frozen meals delivered," Lanz said. "And the need increases every year."
The delivery crew that's part of the volunteers that keep the wheels turning is set to rack up more than 12,000 kilometres this year alone, Lanz said.
Fortunately, keeping up with the rising costs of containers, food, and fuel will be much less of a burden, thanks to a recent $15,000 grant from the Victoria Foundation that follows on the heels of a $7,000 donation from the District of Sooke in May, he noted.
Lanz underlined his gratitude for the grants, which he said will go a long way to helping keep meals at the organization's $7 price point.
He has a list of other organizations he wants to thank, including the Sooke Food Bank for their continuous support with food donations, and for sharing storage space.
"Thank you to the Sooke Community Hall for their generous sharing of kitchen space, and to Sooke River Gardens for delivering delicious vegetables," he said. "And last but not least, a huge thank you to our more than 65 volunteers that make it happen."
Meals on Wheels is always on the lookout for more volunteers, including drivers and kitchen helpers. If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please email sookemow@gmail.com.
"I've been here three years, and it's been rewarding in ways that I never could have imagined," Lanz said.
