of Columbia

Volunteer Handbook:

For Drivers, Packers, & Office Help

Delivering meals to senior residents of Columbia, Missouri for over 45 years.

(573) 886-7554800 Hospital Drive

Columbia, MO 65201mowheels@gmail.com

www.mealsonwheelscolumbia.org

Mission

Meals on Wheels of Columbia is dedicated and passionate

about providing hot, nutritious meals to those in need.

History

In 1972, Meals on Wheels of Columbia, Inc., was founded by six volunteers

who recognized a community need for home delivered meals. The original Meals

on Wheels site began operations on November 6, 1972, serving 14 clients.

In 1977, the rapid growth of the program necessitated a move to Calvary

Baptist Church, where over 150 meals were prepared each day. In 1981, the sack

supper program was added to the services.

In February 1996, a move was made to Advent Enterprises. Better kitchen

facilities and the opportunity to serve Advent clients made this an attractive move.

October 3, 1998 found us moving again. This time we moved to the

Veterans Hospital at 800 Hospital Drive, our current location. The employees at

the VA prepare the meals and we purchase the meals for our clients. We pay rent

for our offices and parking spaces.

The ability of Meals on wheels to successfully provide high quality services

is based on three strengths:

Dedicated Volunteers: Over 160 persons are listed as volunteers. It

requires 95 drivers and packers each week to deliver the meals.

Dedicated Staff: Two paid staff members work closely as a team to ensure

a smooth running agency. Karen Super Carter, our Office Manager, started in June

1990, while JoNetta Weaver became our Executive Director in October 2012.

Dedicated Board of Directors: The 15 member volunteer board has 47

years of experience with the Meals on Wheels organization. Their professional

knowledge supporting the program comes from areas such as nutrition, food

service, banking, public relations, education, insurance, media, law, management,

non-for-profit organizations, and social service.

Agency Fact Sheet

Services Offered: Home delivered, hot noon meal plus an optional cold supper

are delivered by volunteer drivers Monday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. and

12:30 p.m. Modified diets such as diabetic, low sodium, and mechanical are

available. Short-term (three-day minimum) and long-term service is offered.

Eligibility

Live in the city of Columbia

Eligibility is determined by: age, disability, recent hospitalization, or illness

Financial Assistance is available based on the Federal Poverty Level and

monthly gross income.

Intake Procedure: Referrals are taken by phone and can be initiated by

anyone: (e.g.: family, friends, health professionals, social service agencies, and even

the prospective client). Service can generally begin the next day after the referral

is received. An in-home visit is required within the first week of meals being

delivered.

Area Served: City of Columbia

Hours: Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

(answering machine other times at 886-7554)

Cost: Maximum is $5.25 per meal

A sliding fee scale, based on client’s monthly income allows most (80%) clients to

qualify for a reduced rate.

Volunteers

“It is a joy to be able to deliver Meals on Wheels. I consider the people I deliver to and the fellow drivers to be very fulfilling in my life.” –OJ

“I may need meals one day and giving back is a way to share my blessings.” –JS

“Such a pleasure to experience the smiles and thanks of the diverse clients receiving meals.” –GG

Confidentiality: The clients that Meals on Wheels serves have the right to

privacy and confidentiality, and their personal information should always be

protected. Just like professionals, volunteers have a special obligation to maintain

the confidentiality of information they might learn from a client and to protect that

person’s privacy.

The only time it is appropriate to break confidentiality is when:

1. A client is in danger or putting someone else in danger.

2. A client is being abused, neglected, or exploited.

3. A court of law orders disclosure.

We understand that most volunteers will likely discuss their volunteer activities

with friends, family, and coworkers. In these cases, maintaining the client’s

confidentiality and privacy is as simple as not sharing the person’s name or details

that would divulge the client’s identity. This would include not sharing information

or pictures on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Criminal Background Checks: Meals on Wheels is committed to the safety

of our organization, our clients and our volunteers from claims of abuse,

allegations of wrong-doing, and other potential risks by taking the preventive

measure of implementing a background screening policy. Volunteering is a selfless

act of kindness and the objective of the criminal background check is not to be

interpreted as a lack of trust in our volunteers, but is rather a precaution taken

allowing MOW to use the resources available to protect all involved with our

organization. Our policy is to screen individuals in all volunteer capacities for

MOW. During training, each volunteer will complete the MOW Disclosure and

receive a summary of rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If a check is clear,

volunteers can be fully stated into the program. If the check reveals negative

results, the volunteer is notified by mail with third party name, address, and phone

number for additional information.

Volunteer Code of Conduct

1. Adhere to the Meals on Wheels volunteer handbook.

2. Be dependable for volunteer responsibilities.

3. No solicitation to buy or sell anything to clients or staff.

Regular Routes and Substitutes

If you have a regular route and need to be gone, a calendar is posted in

the gathering room for you to sign out.

If you have a regular route and wake up sick on your route day, please

call 886-7554 before 9:00 so we can get you a substitute driver.

LOA - If you need to be absent more than 2 weeks due to illness, travel,

job change, or family situation, please consider a Leave of Absence

(LOA). Another driver will be assigned your route during your absence.

If you are able to return after the situation changes, we will try to give

you a route on a day you are available. Your regular route will be

assigned to someone wishing to have a regular route.

Drivers wishing to stay on the substitute list are sent an email on

Thursdays asking for drivers for the next two weeks. You may

volunteer to take a route dependent on your availability.

Snow/Ice Conditions

If severe snow/ice conditions necessitate the cancellation of meal delivery,

announcements will be made by these radio and TV stations:

KFRU Radio - 1400 AM

KOMU TV - Channel 8

KMIZ TV - Channel 17

The announcement will say “Meals on Wheels of Columbia will

not be delivering today”. CThe MOW website and Facebook

will also indicate if we are not delivering meals.

Blizzard Bags are collected by Rock Bridge Elementary School

families and given to each client to have in the event we cannot deliver meals due

to snow/ice. Bags contain for 2-3 meals.

Holidays

Meals on Wheels observes six holidays. There are no meals delivered: (See

calendar for specific annual holidays.)

New Years Day January 1

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day First Monday in September

Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November

Day after Thanksgiving Friday following

Christmas Day December 25

Special Days: Panera and Wednesdays

Panera has given us leftovers that are free to give to our clients. You may take

anything you think they could use and please, take for yourselves as well.

Wednesdays are Bread days. Please check the checklist to see how many

loaves of white and wheat bread you are to deliver to your clients. The route

sheet will tell you white or wheat.

Parking: Before you leave today, please pick up a pink hang tag that allows you

to park in one of the 10 designated spots for MOW. Please always park in one of

these 10 spots so your vehicle is not blocking deliveries or traffic.

Income Tax Deduction for Mileage: If you itemize your federal tax return,

the miles driven while delivering meals can be treated as a charitable contribution.

Keep a record of all mileage incurred while driving your route, including the

mileage driven between your home and the Meals on Wheels office. We will collect

mileage once a year on each route and have it on file.

Before You Deliver on Your Assigned Day

1. When you arrive, (between 10:30 and 11:15) check the driver assignment

board to confirm the route you are driving. Note any special instructions by

your name (take cake, cooler, letter, etc.)

2. Sign your name and route number on the pink driver sign-up sheet. If you are

driving for an agency, please write both the agency and your name.

3. While waiting for your carrier to be filled, check your route and visit with other

drivers.

4. Before leaving, check your carrier to be sure you have the correct number

of trays and sacks as shown on the route sheet. Brown sacks accompany

noon meals and white sacks for supper. We wouldn’t want you to arrive at

your first stop and realize you were missing some meals! If you do not have all

your meals, please return to the VA hospital to get the meals for your clients.

While You Deliver Meals

1. Keep the meal carrier as level as possible while transporting the meals. Please

keep inside your vehicle. Trunks and pickup beds can get very hot or cold.

2. Leave meals in the carrier until you arrive at the client’s home to maintain

proper meal temperatures.

3. When you arrive at the client’s home, follow any special instructions on the

route sheet and knock loudly on the door. Wait a reasonable length of time. If

your route sheet says “Knock & Enter”, you may open the door and announce

yourself before entering.

4. Greet the client by name in a friendly and cheerful manner, introduce yourself

and tell them that you are from Meals on Wheels. If the client appears to need

assistance due to poor mobility, poor vision, etc., you may want to offer to carry

the meal to the table, open the tray or the milk. Please ask before doing so.

5. Sometimes clients ask drivers to do little things like bringing the mail in or

reaching for a box on a high shelf. It is against our policy to give rides to clients.

6. Keep your eyes open and let us know of any concerns! In the summer/winter

does the clients’ home feel comfortable? Does the client appear ill or confused?

If Client Does Not Answer the Door – STRIKE ONE

If a client does not answer the door, usually there is a simple explanation.

The most common reason is the client forgot to notify the office they would be

gone from home over the noon hour (e.g. medical appointment or an outing with

friends or family)

Look for a cooler outside the door.

Meals may be left outside the home only there is a cooler to keep the food safe.

WE WILL PROVIDE COOLERS FREE OF CHARGE IF NEEDED. IF YOU DISCOVER A

MEAL FROM A PREVIOUS DAY PLEASE REMOVE IT AND LEAVE NO OTHER.

NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT LEAVE MEALS IN THE DOOR/ON THE PORCH

OR A CHAIR!

If Client Does Not Have a Cooler outside the Door – STRIKE TWO

Look on the route sheet for the client number and try to reach them

using that number.

If Client Does Not Answer their phone – STRIKE THREE

Call us and we will coach you to other possibilities.

573-886-7554

After You Deliver Meals

1. After delivering your meals, return to the VA Hospital place the meal carrier on

the metal racks on the back dock.

2. Please remove the masking tape from the route sheet.

3. Sign your route sheet and leave it on top of the blue accordion file.

4. We have an emergency contact for each client, so we can investigate the

problems/concerns you relay to us. Our clients' welfare is important!

5. We strive to provide accurate, easy-to-follow directions to the client’s homes.

We would appreciate knowing when any directions are incorrect or if road

conditions necessitate a change (e.g. construction detours, missing street signs,

the directions of “left/right” reversed, etc.) Your input may prevent the next

driver from being lost.

Important Tips to Remember When Working with Seniors

1. Address the senior with appropriate titles, such as Miss, Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr.,

until the senior tells you how they prefer to be addressed.

2. Walk and/or work with the senior at his/her pace. Match your pace to theirs

with the understanding that older people may not be able to keep up with you.

3. Speak loud enough to be heard and directly in front of the senior.

Understanding that a person’s five senses deteriorate as they age or can be

hard of hearing and require gestures or a written message.

4. Remember that you bring the outside world to a person who is homebound.

Try to focus on the positive aspects of your world. When discussing current

events, let the senior tell you what they see or hear on the radio or television.

5. Understand that seniors may be grieving a number of losses. Let them share

their feelings about giving up driving, friends entering nursing homes or

passing away, or their own changing health.