Called on to deliver meals-on-wheels Tuesday

I wouldn't mind except it's such a long route (around 30 miles average). The agency in charge doesn't pay volunteers or even reimburse for gas.

When I first started doing it back in 2011, there were 6 clients on my route and it took about 30 minutes. Now it's around 14 people, more widely spread out and it takes me about 80 minutes.
 

debodun said:
I wouldn't mind except it's such a long route (around 30 miles average). The agency in charge doesn't pay volunteers or even reimburse for gas.

When I first started doing it back in 2011, there were 6 clients on my route and it took about 30 minutes. Now it's around 14 people, more widely spread out and it takes me about 80 minutes.
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you want to be glad you're not doing a delivery of 30 miles here. That would take you into the south of London, and could easily take you 3 hours to get there
 
debodun said:
I've refused before, if I have a legitimate reason. Asking for money is out of the question. It's strictly volunteer work.
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Why are you posting this then? Isnā€™t it a complaint?

I understand volunteering your time. Itā€™s like charity work but if you have to pay more and more money on gas, itā€™s beyond charity.
Non profit organizations might claim they are making no money off the business. What most non profit businesses do is put that money back into the business so itā€™s a bigger non profit business or the launder their profits.

Either way, you are paying which is far from fair. If you donā€™t mind, thatā€™s great but from your posts, it seems like you do.
Note: Iā€™ve never known any organization where you have to pay to volunteer.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Why are you posting this then? Isnā€™t it a complaint?

I understand volunteering your time. Itā€™s like charity work but if you have to pay more and more money on gas, itā€™s beyond charity.
Non profit organizations might claim they are making no money off the business. What most non profit businesses do is put that money back into the business so itā€™s a bigger non profit business or the launder their profits.

Either way, you are paying which is far from fair. If you donā€™t mind, thatā€™s great but from your posts, it seems like you do.
Note: Iā€™ve never known any organization where you have to pay to volunteer.
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"This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence."

M O Wheels
 
againstthegrain said:
"This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence."

M O Wheels
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Have you ever had to pay to volunteer your time and effort? The company gets money from the delivery of the food. Why canā€™t they pay for her gas? Why would they expect Deb to pay?
 
^^^It's a charity, not a company.

Deb is giving her time and the expenses of delivering the food, and she is MORE than capable of deciding if either the time or the expenses are too much for her. My wife bakes bread for charity, she pays for all the materials and delivers the bread, it's very common. Bottom line - if the CHARITY pays for delivery they give out less food.
 
I delivered twice a week for ten years for an organization that provided meals for people homebound with AIDS. Never did I ask for gas money nor was it offered. My contribution was to deliver the meals and spend some time with people who were suffering terribly at the end of their shortened lives.

Meals on Wheels is similar. They run on a bare budget and when more money is found they add clients who've been on their waiting list. Volunteers donate their time and gasoline.
 
That's actually the primary reason I don't volunteer to pack meals at the local food bank. I've looked into it, but the facility is in Plano and I'm in Dallas. That's at least 50 miles roundtrip. I'm charitable, but to a certain point.

I do applaud you, Deb, for your volunteer work.
 
againstthegrain said:
^^^It's a charity, not a company.

Deb is giving her time and the expenses of delivering the food, and she is MORE than capable of deciding if either the time or the expenses are too much for her. My wife bakes bread for charity, she pays for all the materials and delivers the bread, it's very common. Bottom line - if the CHARITY pays for delivery they give out less food.
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debodun said:
My usual day is Thursday. This is the second time in a month I was asked to fill in for another driver.
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debodun said:
I wouldn't mind except it's such a long route (around 30 miles average). The agency in charge doesn't pay volunteers or even reimburse for gas.

When I first started doing it back in 2011, there were 6 clients on my route and it took about 30 minutes. Now it's around 14 people, more widely spread out and it takes me about 80 minutes.
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To me her posts sounded like a complaint. She wouldnā€™t mind except itā€™s a long route and the agency doesnā€™t pay volunteers not even for gas.

If itā€™s charity work and she doesnā€™t mind, why complain to us?

I didnā€™t realize meals on wheels dinners were free. When I looked into meals on wheels for my parents, there was a price.
 
However it's arranged, it costs clients $2 a meal. I do not collect the money, that has to be between the client and the agency. We also aren't suppose to accept any gifts, whatever it may be, form clients. This is problematic around Christmas. Most do not offer, but a few last year made food items. I didn't want to hurt their feelings, so I accepted since they went to that trouble. If it was money, I'd flatly refuse. A few years ago a man tried to shove a $10 bill into my hand. I told him to give it to a charity or a church.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
So the food cost money AND thereā€™s a delivery fee ?
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Many Meals on Wheels type services started charging nominal fees to most recipients after learning a lot of meals were being thrown out, untouched. Or recipients would go out of town and not bother advising the charity.

Even if it's only a small amount, people are more likely to behave responsibly when they're paying for something rather than getting it free. The fee is on a sliding scale and can be waived for those who can't afford it.

I don't believe MOW charges a delivery fee, just a meal fee.
Find Meals | Meals on Wheels America
 
StarSong said:
Many Meals on Wheels type services started charging nominal fees to most recipients after learning a lot of meals were being thrown out, untouched. Or recipients would go out of town and not bother advising the charity.

Even if it's only a small amount, people are more likely to behave responsibly when they're paying for something rather than getting it free. The fee is on a sliding scale and can be waived for those who can't afford it.

I don't believe MOW charges a delivery fee, just a meal fee.
Find Meals | Meals on Wheels America
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$2 a meal is very reasonable. When I looked into meals on wheels for my parents, the meals were expensive ā€¦

Here is the cost for meals on wheels in Ontario Canadaā€¦$7.60

As Meals on Wheels is a not-for-profit service, the cost is kept to a minimum. Hot meals cost $7.60 each.

I did not realize that American meals on wheels was so different. My apologies for my attitude. Thatā€™s a huge difference.

Personally I thought our meals on wheels was a complete rip off.


Meals on Wheels Ontario
 
PeppermintPatty said:
$2 a meal is very reasonable. When I looked into meals on wheels for my parents, the meals were expensive ā€¦

Here is the cost for meals on wheels in Ontario Canadaā€¦$7.60

As Meals on Wheels is a not-for-profit service, the cost is kept to a minimum. Hot meals cost $7.60 each.

I did not realize that American meals on wheels was so different. My apologies for my attitude. Thatā€™s a huge difference.

Personally I thought our meals on wheels was a complete rip off.


Meals on Wheels Ontario
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Wow!!! $7.60 is very costly, especially given that it's charity underwritten to some extent by government and private donors.

I'd definitely call that a rip-off, too.
 
I don't know what they offer or the size of the portions in other locales, but here the meals are much like TV dinners. There a 3-compartment tray which contains the protein, starch and vegetable server warm. Then they get what is termed a "cold bag" which contains a half-pint 1% milk and the desert which is typically a small container of fruit or cookies. It's "sustenance" - designed for people that aren't very physically active due to age or disability. This is the menu for the first 3 weeks in April:

menu.jpg
 

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