By Dale Bliss
For some homebound residents in Brandon, a knock on the door and a friendly greeting can mean just as much as the hot meal waiting on the other side.
For nearly 50 years, volunteers at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church have been helping provide both through Greater Brandon Meals on Wheels. Since 1976, the church has participated in the communitywide effort to provide nutritious, home-delivered meals to people who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.
Greater Brandon Meals on Wheels operates Monday through Friday, with participating local churches taking responsibility for individual days. Tuesday is St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church’s day, and volunteers have continued the tradition for five decades.
At St. Andrew’s, Phala Pesano and Tim Bridge co-chair the ministry. Each Tuesday, volunteers arrive early to plan, shop for and prepare meals from scratch. The typical meal includes a protein, vegetable, starch, salad and dinner roll, along with dessert.
“On a typical Tuesday, the team cooks for 77 to 78 seniors,” Pesano said.
A backup team arrives around 10:30 a.m. to help prepare and package the meals before delivery volunteers head out on their routes. Meals are delivered between 11 a.m.-1 p.m., with volunteers making sure each recipient receives more than just a nutritious meal.
“The best part of being a volunteer is knowing we are helping people who really need help,” Pesano said.
For many homebound neighbors, a Meals on Wheels volunteer may be the only person they see or speak with during the day. A typical delivery route takes about an hour, but that brief visit can provide important social connection and a reminder that the community cares.
Recipients can be referred by family members, friends, churches, physicians and other organizations. Anyone who is homebound and unable to prepare a home-cooked meal may qualify, whether the need is temporary or permanent. Clients are screened in their homes to verify their need, and a suggested donation helps offset the cost of meals.
The ministry also adds a little extra cheer during the holidays by preparing goodie bags filled with items such as granola bars and individual applesauce cups.
Those interested in volunteering or supporting the ministry can contact St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church at 813-689-6849. Meals on Wheels volunteers meet Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center kitchen at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, located at 3315 S. Bryan Rd. in Brandon.
More information is available at www.brandonmealsonwheels.com.
