Volunteers get behind the wheel to serve up warm meals
Come rain or shine, a group of volunteers hit the road to make sure hundreds of Winnipeg's vulnerable citizens have a warm meal each and every day.
For the past year, Dave Rubel has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels Winnipeg two or three times each week.
"It's so rewarding to actually take a meal and go knock on the door and have somebody answered the door and see you and give them a meal to start their day," he said. "I gotta say, it's the highlight of my day."
The organization has been serving up hundreds of meals each week in Winnipeg since 1965. Winnipeg Regional Health Authority staff make and package the meals, which are then taken to city hospitals.
From there, Meals on Wheels delivers the food to the front doors of Winnipeggers who are not able to get out on their own.
"We have about 300 clients who receive meals from Meals on Wheels, and we deliver all over the city," said Adam Rout, the volunteer coordinator with Meals on Wheels.
That's only possible thanks to the volunteers behind the wheels.
"If you don't have a driver then people aren't going to get their meals. So it becomes very, very critical that they have a good base of volunteers," said Rubel.
He is one of about 300 volunteers with the program. He said in his one year of volunteering as a driver, he's tried to deliver more than just a warm meal.
"Basically, I've made it my sort of goal to try to put a smile on their face," he said. "If someone's wearing a Winnipeg Jets sweater or jersey – Go Jets Go, Go Bombers Go – you know, even if it's one minute, just being a part of their day."
The group is always looking for more volunteers to get behind the wheel. Rout said the minimum commitment is one route per month. It's meaningful work that the volunteers say leave their hearts as full as the plates they deliver.
"Just that genuine appreciation that our clients have for our volunteers knowing that these folks are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts," Rout said.
More information about the Meals on Wheels Winnipeg program can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.