Delivering meals is a simple and rewarding way to help seniors and people with disabilities in need of hot meals and a daily visit from a friendly face, and you can do it over lunch! All you need to do is sign up, and you’ll be connected with your neighborhood Meals on Wheels program to get started.
When you volunteer for Meals on Wheels during your lunch hour, you’re doing your part to guarantee meals are delivered to the more than 4,000 people in need across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. You can volunteer to deliver meals once a week, once a month, with a friend, with a group or on your own – whatever works best for you!
Delivering meals is also a great social activity – you can do it with a friend or a group and you’ll get to know your neighbors who also deliver. And you’ll leave knowing the eight to 10 people on your route received the nourishment and personal connection they need.
Sign up today to deliver meals and know you’ll make an immediate impact on the lives of recipients in your neighborhood. If you have questions, see the list of frequently asked questions, email [email protected] or call (612) 623-3363 for more information.
fill out the online volunteer form or call us at (612) 623-3363 and we will refer you to your local program.
Volunteers drive to the program site, pick up 8-10 meals stored in easy-to-carry thermal packs, and deliver them to residences using a route designed by the program. You will receive detailed driving and delivery directions – no preparation is necessary. Once your route is finished, you will return the supplies to the program site.
Delivery routes are designed to take no longer than one hour. For most people, it’s easy to deliver meals during the lunch hour.
Meals are generally delivered between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
As often as you would like! Many of our volunteers choose one day a week or one day a month to deliver meals. Commit to a frequency you are comfortable with, and you can always decide to deliver more often in the future
Yes! Delivering meals is a great social activity that you can do with a friend or a larger group. It’s also common for church, social or workplace groups to organize delivery teams. Learn more about how to start a Workplace Delivery Team.
Even if you are volunteering alone, you can request to be paired with another volunteer for your route. If you’re a new volunteer, it can be helpful to go with someone who has delivered before.
With 35 delivery locations throughout the Twin Cities area, chances are there’s a program that’s close to your home or work.
Volunteers bring the meal to each recipient’s door. Part of the fun of delivering is visiting with recipients but it is important to keep visits brief enough for you to complete your route on time. If you find that your recipient needs additional help, you can contact your program coordinator.
While finding volunteers to fill delivery routes is our biggest need, there are other ways to get involved. Here’s a list of our other volunteer opportunities.