Diane is a volunteer. Once a week she drives to the Thompson Community Centre where she picks up 8 to 10 meals and delivers them to customers in Richmond. She is one of 400 volunteers with Meals on Wheels who deliver up to 500 hot meals every week day.

I always assumed it was only infirm seniors who received these services, but it turns out that they are only one section of the community. People recovering from an illness or an operation, new mothers, individuals with chronic or acute medical conditions and even caregivers benefit from this support.

Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday to Friday, volunteers in Vancouver and Richmond stop by one of 12 depots, pick up their hot meals and deliver them. A hot lunch consists of soup (such as tomato rice, cream of cauliflower, mulligatawny, etc) and crackers, an entrée (Teriyaki meatballs, salmon roll, meatloaf, curried chicken, etc.) with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, vegetables, and a lemon square, fruit crisp or chocolate chip cookie.

While many of the senior recipients prefer a hot meal at lunch, others also order a sandwich pack and enjoy that for lunch, saving the hot meal for dinner. Frozen entrees are available as well and these see people through the weekends.

In operation since 1967, and originally under the charter of Victoria Order of Nurses, the Vancouver/Richmond Meals on Wheels broke away from the organization in 2006 and now operates under Health and Homecare Society of B.C. It’s still not for profit and relies on fundraising to take care of the community. It also relies on a core group of volunteers like Diane.

Dr. Inge Schamborzki, executive director, says they have a couple of volunteers who have been involved for over 40 years. Volunteers are recognized annually for their commitment.

Younger volunteers have signed on, especially for the new Meals on Bikes in the West End of Vancouver. They can use their own bikes or bikes supplied by the society. Special insulated bags carry the hot meals on the back of the bike and a backpack holds the frozen entrees.

Meals on Wheels (as it is still referred to) introduced Chinese meals in 1996. Every week day, Chinese-speaking volunteers deliver between 130 to 150 authentic Chinese meals, including herbal soups, braised pork with bean curd, steamed egg and minced pork and tofu, and braised fish with white turnip.

Diane, a retiree, began volunteering five years ago because she wanted to do something to help the community. She has delivered to people who have just come out of the hospital, have broken hips, or arms, and to the aged, who, she says, can no longer get out to shop or have lost interest in cooking.

She does it because if she had parents who needed help she would have appreciated someone delivering food to them. When she started five years ago, there was a fellow in his 80s delivering food. He’s now 91 and she delivers to him. “What goes around comes around,” she says, and adds that she hopes someone will be there to help her when and if the time comes.

Dr. Schamborzki and Diane both say that the volunteers are a point of contact for the recipients. “I can see a lot in five minutes without being obvious,” says Diane. Do they need more help? Are they safe? Has there been a change in their health? If no one answers the door, she has someone follow up to make sure everything is okay.

“I’ve heard stories about some of our meal recipients getting dressed up to meet the volunteer,” says Dr. Schamborzki. “It’s a social connection for many of them.”

Hot meals have cost recipients $5.25 for years, but beginning in December the rates increase to $5.75. The meals cost more than that to make, but the society covers the extra cost. They also reimburse drivers for miles driven, but many volunteers donate that money back to the society.

After delivering the meals, Diane then returns the empty containers to the community center. It all begins again the next day, with couriers delivering food from the kitchens to the 12 depots in Richmond and Vancouver where once again, volunteers pick up the meals and knock on a few doors.

For more information on how you can help or receive support: www.carebc.ca or 604-733-9177

Arlene Kroeker writes about food every Thursday in The Richmond Review. She may be reached at akroeker@aol.com.