Problems with a meal delivery

I've tried and tried and nothing gets done. I deliver to people that have a day care worker that comes out to get the food. I was hoping adult protective would get her one, just to be there when the food arrives and make sure she eats her meals. Maybe the problem client doesn't want one or doesn't qualify for some reason. The volunteer luncheon is this Sunday. Makbe I can talk to the other route drivers, if they attend, and ask what they think. However, I'm not sure that's the place or time to do that.
 

Have they ever asked this lady if she even wants these meals delivered to her? She obviously isn't eating them. They are going to waste.
 

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Pinky said:
Have they ever asked this lady if she even wants these meal delivered to her? She obviously isn't eating them. They are going to waste.
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I wouldn't know how the food delivery arrangements are made. My responsibility is just to deliver and make sure the client is relatively okay and report any concerns. And you're correct, Pinky, that's what bothers me the most - wasted food, not to mention the driver's time and gas. This client is the furthest out on the route.
 
There have been new clients added to the route. This is what it looks like now as of December 21st 2023. It's 35.5 miles, according to my odometer, A being the pick up point for the meals and it's a round trip. It took me 1 hr 40 min yesterday. I wonder if there's any top limit to how many people can be on the route. If there are many more added, it will be impossible to deliver all and get back to when the meal distribution center closes at 1 pm.


meal route Dec 2023.jpg
 
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debodun said:
There have been new clients added to the route. This is what it looks like now as of December 21st 2023. It's 35.5 miles, according to my odometer, A being the pick up point for the meals and it's a round trip. It took me 1 hr 40 min yesterday. I wonder if there's any top limit to how many people can be on the route. If there are many more added, it will be impossible to deliver all and get back to when the meal distribution center closes at 1 pm.


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this is not acceptable not for a volunteer who doesn't even get a fuel allowance. I think they're taking advantage of you...
 
I think B and S should be on the Mechanicville route, technically their addresses are Mechanicville. D through L are actually in the town of Saratoga Springs! I've asked before about clients living outside the political boundaries of Stillwater and they mumble something about they are actually closer to Stillwater than Saratoga.
 
debodun said:
I think B and S should be on the Mechanicville route, technically their addresses are Mechanicville. D through L are actually in the town of Saratoga Springs! I've asked before about clients living outside the political boundaries of Stillwater and they mumble something about they are actually closer to Stillwater than Saratoga.
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well tell them you feel it's too far for you. you're lady of a certain age, paying for your own fuel... you are not going to be taken advantage of like this.. so tell them it's just too far for you in a morning. that they need to get someone else to do that apart. What are they going to do, sack you?.. no..
 
I received the meals driver schedule for the next 2 months. The person doing Tuesdays has apparently quit since all the Tuesdays are blank on the sheet. I'd speculate that it was because of the inordinate number of clients added in the past few weeks. The agency will probably call me to fill in. I might one or 2 extra days a month, but not all.

I compared the client list from when I began this year back in June to the current route:

clients that have been dropped - 3
same clients - 12
new clients - 6
 
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The agency called me twice this week to substitute for other drivers. I'd have been doing it 3 times this week, but once I played possum when I saw who was calling. I just refused on another request. I asked the meal site supervisor about the Tuesday driver and he said that she goes away from January through March.
 
debodun said:
The agency called me twice this week to substitute for other drivers. I'd have been doing it 3 times this week, but once I played possum when I saw who was calling. I just refused on another request. I asked the meal site supervisor about the Tuesday driver and he said that she goes away from January through March.
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They are going to burn out their volunteers and then they will have no one.
 
I wouldn't mind if it were just a few clients, but there are 20 and it's a 35.5 mile route for nada - I don't think so. I asked the site coordinator who they got to substitute yesterday and he said one the the agency people did it and they didn't get back before the site closed! I think it's good the program directors have a go at it once in a while so they can see how challenging it is. Today it took me about an hour and half, but got back in plenty of time.
 
debodun said:
The agency called me twice this week to substitute for other drivers. I'd have been doing it 3 times this week, but once I played possum when I saw who was calling. I just refused on another request. I asked the meal site supervisor about the Tuesday driver and he said that she goes away from January through March.
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well it was up to them to get a replacement driver well ahead of time, as they knew this driver was going to be away. I'm proud of you for turning it down...
 
What’s this going to be like when your winter weather arrives. Are the local roads well cared for.
 
Jules said:
What’s this going to be like when your winter weather arrives. Are the local roads well cared for.
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If the weather is really bad, the deliveries are cancelled. They told me a while back to look at the school cancellations on TV on snowy days. If Saratoga Springs schools are cancelled, they there will be no senior meal delivery. They usually call to tell me that anyway.
 
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The site supervisor said he doesn't know why the drivers aren't paid since almost every other county in New York State pays theirs. In addition, we aren't even insured, so if a client claims a diver damages their property or the driver develops a car problem due to a delivery, it comes out of the driver's pocket.
 
I would think that they would insure you against client’s claims that you damaged their property at the very least.
 
debodun said:
The site supervisor said he doesn't know why the drivers aren't paid since almost every other county in New York State pays theirs. In addition, we aren't even insured, so if a client claims a diver damages their property or the driver develops a car problem due to a delivery, it comes out of the driver's pocket.
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Well in that case , you're a better man than me Gunga Din... that would be the finish for me.. I'd be stopping that volunteering straight away.. not only are you having to pay for repairs and fuel for your car, for no wages.. you're also running the risk of being sued ... nope.. not any way, not any how...
 
Teacher Terry said:
I would think that they would insure you against client’s claims that you damaged their property at the very least.
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I think the risk of someone suing because of property damage is very low. However, I did find out about their indemnity policy from an incident years ago when there was a wind storm during the night before I had to deliver. I was going around a curve about 40 MPH and there was a large tree that had blown over into the road (it was out in the country). I couldn't stop in time and hit it. It bent the passenger side tire rim. I called them about it and they said they don't insure drivers. I had to pay OOP for the repair.
 
hollydolly said:
Well in that case , you're a better man than me Gunga Din... that would be the finish for me.. I'd be stopping that volunteering straight away.. not only are you having to pay for repairs and fuel for your car, for no wages.. you're also running the risk of being sued ... nope.. not any way, not any how...
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I’d be running away from there right beside Holly.

How is this whole service funded? Do the admin staff get paid? The organizations is the rest of the state, so it seems odd that yours doesn’t.
 
Jules said:
How is this whole service funded? Do the admin staff get paid?
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I assume it paid out of tax money and the money the clients pay for the meals ($3.50 per meal) and yes, everyone else in the program receives a salary including the administrators and the meal site supervisors. The only thing volunteers get is one "appreciation" luncheon a year and they also may request a complimentary meal on the days they deliver.
 

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