PITTSTON — Louise Smith has received many calls over the last several days from people expressing concern about the future of the Greater Pittston Meals on Wheels.
Smith, director of the organization, said those concerns can be put to rest.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that President Donald Trump’s plans for the 2018 proposed budget could cut funds to Meals on Wheels.
Smith said, no matter what happens, the Meals on Wheels of Greater Pittston will ot be impacted.
“It doesn’t impact us at all because we don’t rely on the government at all,” she said. “We do donations, we charge $25 a week, and we get money though memorials and city organizations that are very generous.”
According to Smith, the Greater Pittston Meals on Wheels has 58 volunteers and six people deliver food to senior citizens throughout Greater Pittston.
“On an average, we’re serving 55 people a day and we serve them two meals – a lunch and a dinner,” she said. “We have a standard menu. We do diabetic meals and regular meals, and we don’t add salt to any of our meals.”
Smith said food is delivered to residents from Pittston City to Plains Township which covers Jenkins Township, Pittston Township and Laflin as well as in the opposite direction to Duryea, Avoca, and Dupont. On the west side, they are delivered to residents from West Pittston to the Forty Fort Airport, which also covers Exeter, Wyoming and West Wyoming.
Each deliverer carries no more than 20 meals with them, per route.
Charlie Brown has volunteered with the Meals on Wheels of Greater Pittston for over a year and a half and has met great people along the way.
“You feel like you want to go back and be friends with them, but you can’t because you’re just giving them a meal for a day,” the West Pittston resident said. “You try to make contact with them and say ‘hi,’ but sometimes you can’t really stick around long because you have other meals you need to deliver.”
Brown has a route every Thursday that takes about two hours to complete. At some stops, he leaves a meal in a cooler on the resident’s front porch while, at others, he if offered a quick “Thank you! Have a nice day!” when the resident answers the door.
For Jenkins Township resident Mary Homick, it’s not just about getting a meal every day; it’s about saying ‘Hi’ to a friend.
“They come, they’re real friendly and we talk and we laugh,” the 63-year-old said.
Although the Meals on Wheels of Greater Pittston avoids the potential impact of the 2018 budget, Brown said no program should be impacted by the budget.
“I don’t think he should cut any programs that involve giving food to people,” Brown said of the president. “They need to find a way to keep those programs going.”
Homick said her sense of relief is that, not only does she get her meals, but she doesn’t have to worry about spending more for food.
“It’s always good to not have to pay more,” she said. “
