Heartspring volunteers for Meals on Wheels

Delivering Opportunities
Social service organizations have unique chance to work together

When Heartspring students began volunteering for Meals on Wheels it was not just one organization giving to another, it was a connection that also had Meals on Wheels giving back to Heartspring.

One of the goals at the Heartspring School is to provide opportunities that allow the students to be in the community experiencing different social environments and learning job related skills. The weekly trips to Meals on Wheels is a perfect situation for the students to practice those skills.

“When the students have an opportunity like Meals on Wheels to get out in the community and see new faces and be in different situations, it prepares them for the future,” said Stephen Perry, director of education services at Heartspring. “Many of our students will transition to adult placements some day and may have the opportunity to have a job where they need to be able to handle social situations such as the one Meals on Wheels presents to them.”

A national organization, Meals on Wheels is comprised of philanthropic groups in cities across the United States who organize and join the Meals on Wheels network. They then provide meals and other nutritional information to individuals who are homebound, elderly or disabled.

Heartspring students volunteer three days a week delivering meals. Their morning starts by picking up the meals at a central location and they then set out on a route with each student taking turns delivering the meals.

“The students will take the meal and go to the door and knock. They have to wait for the resident to come to the door and they then greet the resident and hand them their meal,” said Lisa Jones, Heartspring paraeducator. “All of these steps are important to our students because it teaches them appropriate social behavior and how to be patient. A staff member always goes to the door with them to help them greet the person and practice those greeting skills as well.”

Some of the participants in the Meals on Wheels program live lives that prove difficult to aquire the things they need to get by, whether it is because of a medical condition or financial strains. Meals on Wheels not only serves as a way to provide them with nutrious meals, the visits are a way to check in on the residents and assure their health is good. The deliveries seem to be a bright spot for many of the residents, as they look forward to the delivery of their meals by the students.

“Some of the clients get meals every day while some only get a few a week,” said Jones. “Having Meals on Wheels stop by is a good way to check in on these people because some of them do not have someone to do that. Many of the residents seem to really look forward to the visit. You can tell by the look on their faces that they enjoy seeing the kids.”

Heartspring students also look forward to the delivery days. Students who have been participating for a long time have learned the routine and can demonstrate appropriate skills.

“One of our kids who recently transitioned was really good at the deliveries. He went right up there and knew just what to do,” said Jones. “It was really neat to see how he progressed. He seemed to really love it when we went out.”

By working together Meals on Wheels and Heartspring have created a situation where everyone benefits. Heartspring students are able to go into the community and experience new situations and work on social skills, while Meals on Wheels has a group of volunteers to distribute meals to residents who need them. This creates a situation where positive experiences enhance the lives of others.