GROVE CITY — Grove City Meals on Wheels has a few empty spaces around its table this summer.

Adrianne Gallo, the site coordinator for the 30-year-old program, said Meals on Wheels is hoping to find not only volunteers to help pack and deliver food, but more clients for the program itself.

“Right now, we serve 45 clients a day. We had 60 four months ago. The number has been dwindling this summer,” said Gallo, who recently became coordinator.

“Some of it is because the clients can't stay in their homes any longer, or the upside is we do have people getting well and are able to cook for themselves again,” she said.

Or, Gallo said, because the cost of the program went to $4 a day in April, some clients decided they couldn't justify the expense, or if a relative was paying for the meals, they didn't want to be a burden to their families.

And some people may not be aware of the program.

“A lot of people don't realize that Meals on Wheels is still a thing,” said Gallo. “People really, truly need us.”

Gallo said it doesn't matter if a potential client can't afford the $4 or doesn't have food stamps.

“I don't want to see anyone go without food. If need be, I will fund raise to feed these people,” Gallo said.

Gallo said the program provides a hot meal Monday through Friday to people age 60 and older and some disabled people who are either housebound or find it hard to either get around or cook for themselves.

This program is run by the Lutheran Service Society and funded by United Way grants and donations from local churches and, Gallo said, by “people who drop off baked goods and produce out of their gardens.”

This Meals on Wheels serves Grove City and areas up to 17 miles outside the city limits including Harrisville, Mercer, Volant, Leesburg and Slippery Rock as far as Route 8.

Gallo said Meals on Wheels tries to provide a third of the recommended daily allowance of nutrition and caloric intake. Meals are delivered between 11 a.m. and noon.

Gallo said cook Terry Lee, who has been with the program for 20 years, starts every day in the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church's kitchens at 5:30 a.m.

Meals have included homemade lasagna and salads with grilled chicken.

Gallo said,“The menus for meals are drawn up by Lutheran Services, but we take a lot of license.”

“For instance, they recommended tabouli, which is a Lebanese salad for one meal,” said Gallo. “That's not going to fly with this population.

“But Terry is creative and organized. One day we had a huge amount of bib lettuce donated. We had salads for a solid week,” said Gallo.

Gallo said, “A frozen meal goes out sometimes on Friday so they can cook it over the weekend.”

At 9 a.m. that day's volunteers arrive at the church at 819 Columbia Avenue to begin making sandwiches and portion out fruit and salad servings.

One such “packer” volunteer is Barb Tonowski.

She moved to Grove City in 1989 from New York City.

“Small town living, I like it,” said Tonowski. “That's where volunteerism becomes part of the community. You know people and they know you.”

At 10 a.m., Gallo said, the volunteers portion out the hot food servings into trays and put the trays in ovens. Then the drivers arrive at 10:45 a.m. to load and deliver that days's consignment of meals.

One driver is Paul Baseler, 92, of Grove City who still takes a delivery route once a week.

“I met my wife, Louise, here,” said Baseler. “She was a substitute cook.”

They married in 1993, although she no longer volunteers for Meals on Wheels.

But it's more than just food; the drivers are a lifeline to the community.

“For someone who is housebound, this is someone checking up on them every day,” Gallo said.

“This is the sole contact that they otherwise wouldn't have. The drivers bond with these people. They know their habits. It's a family thing. It's a small community that takes care of these people.”

Marty St. John of Grove City, who has been a volunteer since 1974, currently schedules the drivers on the six routes.

“I actually started by typing the menus, then I became chairman of the day, that's now a paid position. I've been coordinator. Now, I'm in charge of the drivers and visitors. I've been doing that for 20 years,” said St. John.

“I figure if I can help people stay in their houses I would. I've been blessed by this program,” she said.

Gallo and St. John said no driver has every called off because of weather although Baseler said he's had to deal with one client “who'd show up in the trailer door in his underwear.”

“I didn't pay any attention to it. He never had anything on but his underwear,” Baseler said.

Grove City Meals on Wheels site coordinator Adrianne Gallo said, while most Meals on Wheels clients are elderly, there are no age requirements for adults to enroll in the program.However, other requirements include:The inability to shop, plan and prepare balanced meals.A temporary or permanent physical or psychological impairment due to illness, disability or age.Lack of incentive due to depression or neglect.Lack of other support resources.The ability to live independently otherwise.Gallo said those interested in volunteering for Meals on Wheels or becoming a Meals on Wheels client should call 724-458-5371.