Meals on Wheels

I'm going to take a page from my cousin Lyndsey's blog and make a photojournalistic entry about my day. I volunteer with Meals on Wheels a few times each month. The organization is responsible for delivering daily meals to the elderly and infirm around the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. Today, I was lucky enough to have the help of family. They did all the work, I just did the chauffering! Thanks guys!

Here we go...

Elmo DVD, check. Chicken nuggets, check. Sippy cup, check. Sophie's packed up and ready to go.

Picked up the meals from Huong Binh Bakery & Deli.

On the menu today, we have some soups, rice and other Vietnamese dishes.

Driving around some of the lower income neighborhoods in Falls Church.

Wendy taking a meal in for a client. She's doing this on her summer break from college. What a trooper!

Gotta see where to go next. The list changes on a weekly basis, since clients are sometimes unavailable due to hospitalization or even worse.

That's my aunt. Yes, my aunt! Doesn't she look like a teenager? She has two teenage kids! But, I digress...

We're all done and we've earned a meal at La Madeleine. Sophie is happy to stretch her legs.

These refreshments really hit the spot, I tell ya.

Contentment. We've done some good today.

On a more serious note, the Vietnamese Meals on Wheels program is part of the Fairfax County Government's Agency on Aging. Its 39 volunteers now serve 480 traditional Vietnamese meals to 48 county residents who speak Vietnamese. The Vietnamese Meals on Wheels is one of 22 County Meals on Wheels volunteer partnerships providing this service to residents of Fairfax County, Falls Church City and Fairfax City.

Volunteer deliverers provide a brief but important connection to older, isolated Vietnamese adults who may not speak to anyone else all day.

The Vietnamese Meals on Wheels program is currently recruiting volunteer deliverers. The commitment is just once or twice a month for a few hours (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). To volunteer, call the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at 703-324-3552, TTY 703-449-1186 or e-mail Kim-Ha.Ly@fairfaxcounty.gov. Callers can leave their name and telephone number in Vietnamese or English.

If you only have 2 -3 hours each month and are looking for a way to help your community, this is a wonderful program that truly makes a difference. I have met some wonderful people through Meals on Wheels--from volunteers who really care, to seniors who desperately need the help. Volunteers do not need to know how to speak Vietnamese. If you'd like to help, but don't know how to get started, please feel free to e-mail me, or leave a comment and I'll get back to you.