The group that delivers meals to seniors and people with disabilities is asking the community for help as it deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meals on Wheels London is asking for donations of hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes to help keep its volunteers and clients safe. Executive Director Chad Callander said their supplies are running low.
"We had a fairly good supply, but as you can imagine, we're taking extra precautions," he said. "As well, with the needs of our volunteers who are helping deliver our meals, we've been going through them quite quickly."
Callander said volunteers are taking a slightly different approach when delivering meals. He said, in cases in which the client is able to come to the door and get the meal, the volunteer is leaving it at the door and stepping away while the client picks it up. When that is not possible, volunteers are making sure they maintain an appropriate distance from the client while still entering their home to deliver the meal. He said having hand sanitizer and being able to use it as they go house to house is very valuable for volunteers.
People wishing to donate hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes are asked to not come to the Meals on Wheels office to drop it off, but rather call 519-660-1430 or email info@mowl.ca and arrangements will be made for pickup.
Callander said, despite the pandemic, Meals on Wheels volunteers are doing their best to continue to deliver not just meals, but also the social connection their clients are accustomed to.
"We always say our meals are more than a meal, because not only are you getting a meal but you're also getting a safety check-in. If someone doesn't answer their door we have a safety process that we follow. The person is still seeing someone, it's just they're not as close as they previously were. We're also following up by phone with people we know may be high risk and may benefit from a little more conversation when we can."