Adopt a Route
The Adopt-a-Route Partner Program is an excellent and effective way for companies
and organizations to involve themselves in the community. With as few as 4 employees,
a group can Adopt-a-Route and deliver meals one day a week. By rotating delivery teams,
individual staff members would only deliver one lunch time a month. Several companies and
organizations deliver weekly, some deliver bi-weekly.
Many participating companies feel the Adopt-a-Route program improves office camaraderie by
giving employees the chance to interact outside of the work environment.
Click here for additional information.
About Volunteering
How long does it take?
Each time you deliver takes about 1 hour.
Can I involve my children?
Yes! Our clients love to see kids.
Do I have to be available every day?
No. You can schedule your time weekly, monthly or on call.
Do I see the same clients each time?
The program manager works hard to make sure the routes are consistent for both the client and the volunteer. That way you can develop a relationship with your clients.
Do I need a car?
If you do not have a car, volunteer with a friend or co-worker that does. It is more fun to volunteer with a friend. One person drives and the other navigates the route.
Can I volunteer on the weekend or evening?
We do not deliver on the weekends or evening.
How can I help if I don’t drive?
You may help by making a financial or an in-kind contribution. We send out gifts along with the meals to our clients. Your group or organization could make bookmarks, cards or refrigerator magnets to be delivered during a holiday.
Why Volunteer?
You can make a difference in the lives of your elderly neighbors! Your elderly neighbors in most of our service areas depend solely on volunteers to deliver their meals at lunchtime. For some elderly, this may be the only meal they have all day. Also, for many of our clients, the volunteer who delivers their meal may be the only person that they interact with all day.
How to Volunteer
Contact Donna Anderson,
Director of Volunteers
903-593-7385 Ext. 2908
donnaka@mealsonwheelseasttexas.org
Who are our volunteers?
Our volunteers are a diverse group of
individuals. They are business owners,
retirees, students, professionals, and
stay-at-home moms. The one thing that
they all have in common is a dedication to serving the ill, disabled, and senior residents of East Texas. Volunteers pick up the meals Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Volunteers are needed for regular route delivery, which is one route, one day a week or one day a month. Meals on Wheels also needs emergency drivers, which are volunteers who can deliver a route on short notice in the instance that another volunteer cannot fulfill his/her duties.
Volunteers are essential to the success of Meals on Wheels. Almost 1,000 volunteers annually give time and resources to the organization. The Meals on Wheels volunteer delivers meals and conducts safety checks for homebound clients. Volunteers may be from churches, civic groups, individuals, schools, and corporations.
The meals are picked up by the Tyler volunteer drivers Monday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed for regular route delivery, which is one route, one day a week or one day a month. Emergency drivers, which are volunteers who can deliver a route on short notice in the instance that another volunteer cannot fulfill his/her duties are also needed.
One route will generally take 45 minutes to an hour and a half. All volunteer drivers must provide their own transportation for meal delivery.
