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
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Cybersecurity expert weighs-in on the possibility of a U.S. ban of TikTok
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Have you heard the one about Trump? Biden tries humour on the campaign trail
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.