Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Once the food and drink are packed, Jeannine Cavell checks her log book to see who has been added and who has been taken off her route.
"There are fewer people in the winter," she said, "many people go to Florida this time of year."
The "people" are Mobile Meals customers on East 2 Route in Warsaw, one of 11 routes in Kosciusko County.
Cavell, 69, has been a Mobile Meals volunteer since 1992. She is familiar with her customers and they with her.
If "Mrs. Jones," a fictional name, isn't waiting at the door as usual when a meal is delivered, or if "Mr. Johnson" seems confused when Cavell rings the doorbell, she will take appropriate action.
"More important than the food is checking on people daily," said Jack Felger, executive director of Kosciusko Community Senior Services. "Once volunteers begin a route they immediately understand how important it is to see them once a day."
A Mobile Meals volunteer may be the only person the customer sees regularly.
"We receive a lot of information about our clients because of what drivers have observed," Felger said.
At each stop Cavell opens the trunk and retrieves from the hot foods container a labeled, packaged meal specially prepared for the customer's dietary needs. In a cooler are bagged drinks and other cold stuffs, also labeled.
Cavell is greeted at the door by the people on her route and she brings the food in and puts it on a table. At other homes the customer takes the packages at the door, it depends.
At one stop, where the customer has poor vision, Cavell takes the time to remove the top of the meal and open the drink containers.
She doesn't have to provide this service. She is there because she cares.
"I like people," Cavell said. "I like being around them and I know how important this service is."
She keeps up on her customer's lives, asking them about their health, if they have any problems or need anything. Usually the answer is "no" and it is obvious they appreciate the concern.
More than 100 meals are prepared at Kosciusko Community Hospital Monday through Friday. They are picked up between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. by either one or two route drivers.
The Lakeland Rehabilitation Facility in Milford also prepares meals.
Express route drivers deliver many meals to drop-off points throughout the county which are picked up by route drivers. Felger says the Lions' and Rotary clubs are excellent in providing express drivers.
"One thing we need is more volunteers and more schedulers," Felger said.
Most routes have eight to 15 customers on their lists, which may not sound like much, but can turn into quite a drive out in the country.
Most drivers volunteer one day a week.
The Kosciusko County program is one of the oldest in the state, having been in operation for 35 years. Senior Services began administering the service 10 years ago, when it became too much for a group of volunteers to handle.
Felger said the program costs about $100,000 per year and is partially funded by the United Way, $1,500, and by Area II Home Delivered Meals, $25,000. The balance comes from customers who make a voluntary contribution according to their economic circumstances, which could be a zero amount or up to 90 percent of the cost of the meal.
Felger said it costs approximately $1,000 per year per person for the meals.
The services the volunteers route drivers provide is priceless.
