Freeport Area Meals on Wheels keeps rolling
After retiring following 50 years of serving his community as a physician, Phil Gelacek now spends his time serving in a different way — as a driver for Freeport Area Meals on Wheels.
“I was a physician and involved with medicine for 50 years, and I wanted to continue to give back,” Gelacek said, “So, after retiring, I thought to myself that I still had a lot to give, so I began volunteering at Meals on Wheels, the animal shelter and as a patient advocate.”
Gelacek has been a driver for nearly two years, and he said one of his favorite parts of volunteering is getting to talk to and build connections with the people he serves.
“About six months ago, one of the ladies that I delivered to had lost her cat, so she went through the grieving process,” Gelacek said. “About a month later, I asked her if she wanted a new cat, and she said that would be wonderful. So two weeks ago, I got her two kittens from the animal shelter I volunteer at, and I stopped recently to give her a meal, and she was like a kid at Christmas.”
In addition to the drivers, Freeport Area Meals on Wheels has volunteers who help make and package the food and supervise the operation. It is completely community-based, and everyone involved is a volunteer.
The head of the organization is Sally Coyne, who said the volunteers are what keeps the agency running.
“We receive no government funding, so we rely on client payments, grants and donations,” she said. “But we have 80 volunteers a month who are the lifeblood of the organization, and we are connected directly with 12 churches who send us drivers and cooks.”
The organization started at the Freeport United Methodist Church 50 years ago this month.
From the beginning, other churches were involved, which has helped create a broad base of volunteers. This allows the organization to assign drivers each week, while eight to nine churches send crews to cook.
Coyne also talked about the impact the organization has had on the community and the benefits it provides to the people the cooks and drivers serve.
“I think it has been very beneficial to an elderly parent or relative who is not receiving the proper nutrition because they are no longer cooking for themselves,” Coyne said. “Oftentimes, if the family does not live in the area, they are comforted to know that someone is checking on them.”
Gelacek agreed, explaining that the service is positive for those they serve because a lot of its clients do not get many visitors. It gives him a chance to sit down with them either inside their house or on the porch, and he is also able to go beyond delivering the food, and helps clients with other things.
The organization operates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Before they begin delivering meals, the volunteers arrive at 7 a.m. to start preparing the food. The organization also has someone who does the shopping; two or three people who make the desserts; and drivers who are given five routes apiece.
To keep things organized and routine, the cooks use the same menu each week, but the meals change each day.
For each meal, they also ask for a small payment from their clients. Not being able to afford the cost does not prevent someone from receiving a meal, but the payments help the organization continue to operate. The cost is $4, which can be sent by mail or given to the drivers.
“We will generally run anywhere from 12 to 15 clients a route, and, in total, we have between 55 and 60 clients who we serve, which stays pretty consistent,” Coyne said. “We generally have all our clients pay $4, and we make up the other money through donations, as well as receiving a yearly grant from the Armstrong County Community Foundation.”
People interested in receiving Meals on Wheels or people who want to volunteer can call 724-295-2760. The organization serves individuals with long-term disabilities, older adults and those who are unable to cook.
