Meals on Wheels volunteers go home again – to Route 3

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There was no way to say “no” to Route 3.

If there were a list of cornerstones in the Chatham County Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program, Jimmy and Susan Griffin would rank near the top of the list.

For the past 15 years, the Griffins have provided a knock on the door for their Pittsboro-area route, combined with a smile, friendly conversation and, of course, a nutritious meal for a homebound senior in need.

Susan Griffin regularly accompanied a past Meals on Wheels driver on her route for the sake of companionship. But when her friend passed away, Susan temporarily stepped back from Meals on Wheels deliveries, instead devoting time to her local church.

However, the allure of making a real difference in the lives of Chatham seniors in need was too much to ignore as time pressed forward.

“There was a small window of time when we weren’t doing it,” Susan said. “I was helping out at the church, and the phone rang. It was someone from the Council on Aging asking if we could pass the word around that volunteers were needed for Meals on Wheels. Having remembered that I did Route 3, I asked what route was available? They said, ‘Route 3 was one,’ and I said, ‘Sign me up!’”

Although the names and faces may have changed on Route 3, the need did not.

“It was just knowing how much it meant to the people you went to see,” Susan said. “They really appreciated the time that someone spent coming to bring them meals, to ask how they were doing. Then you get to know their extended family, also. Even now, we are just truly blessed to have a whole family in different locations. You make friends.”

Friendship becomes crucial when assessing the well-being of Meals on Wheels clients. Indeed, the volunteers in the field are often the first indication to Council staff that something is amiss in the home.

“Over a period of time, the trust is there,” Susan said. “They’ll tell you how they’re feeling and how they’re doing and what’s going on. We will make a phone call back to the Council on Aging to let them know this is going on. You just kind of stay in touch that way.”

For Jimmy Griffin, the sincere smile on the face of Meals on Wheels recipients means everything.

“I don’t really see a challenge,” he said of his volunteer route. “I enjoy it, just to see the smile on their face. We may be the only ones they may see that day. It’s rewarding to know that we were able to put a smile on their face and check on them to see how they are doing.”

For the Griffins, the total time spent on their weekly route takes anywhere from 75 to 90 minutes.

“I wish more people would get involved,” Susan said. “Out of our day, we are back here a little bit after 12 (noon), and we leave sometime around a quarter to 11. That’s nothing in a day, it really is nothing. The rewards, the smiling faces, the people that truly appreciate what you’re doing and knowing you’re giving of your time to do it — you meet some of the nicest people. I don’t know about the other routes, but I think we’ve got the best!”

For more information about volunteer opportunities at the Council — including Meals on Wheels — contact coordinator Linda Saum at 919-542-4512 or email linda.saum@chathamcountync.gov.