Volunteer West Island has partnered with the city of Dollard-des-Ormeaux to set up a Meals on Wheels programme in the municipality.
The service provides hot meals to the elderly, as well as other vulnerable people in the area. A regular visit by the volunteers also helps to ensure that those in need don’t feel isolated.
“It’s an aging population,” explains Volunteer West Island (VWI) executive director Lynda Barrett. “There’s a lot of individuals that are completely functional but as soon as they have a loss of autonomy or they have a stroke they need support.” She adds that the waiting lists Meals on Wheels are growing.
This is the 13th Meals on Wheels kitchen that VWI has in the West Island. Others can be found in Lachine, Pointe Claire, Pierrefonds and as far west as Senneville.
WATCH: Celebrating West Island Meals on Wheels volunteers (2015)
The last time they opened one was 35 years ago. This new kitchen will operate out of the DDO civic centre and the volunteers expect to serve up to 40 clients.
“Because there was a bigger demand in DDO, Lachine as well as Pierrefonds, it was important for us to open something,” Barrett added.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux Mayor Alex Bottausci adds that not everyone in the West Island is affluent as some people might think.
“There are pockets of poverty and living below the threshold,” Bottausci said, “and we need to be cognizant of that and be a little bit empathetic to this sort of thing.”
Each meal is $4. Delivery has already begun and will happen every Thursday.
Volunteer West Island eventually wants to have the service twice weekly.
Comments