The Meals on Wheels program was started in January 1970 by the Church and Community Committee of the Hanover Area Council of Churches as a community service project. It began with about 10 recipients a day and grew steadily over the years. Clients of the MOW program can be short-term or long-term, and live within the Hanover Borough. Some clients just needed the service until they recuperated from an illness, while others might live in a single room with no kitchen facilities. Volunteers are mostly made up of retired individuals who care about older citizens, while others are parents who help deliver meals while their children are in school. Our volunteers know that they have made a positive impact and a vital contribution to the community in need as many times, the only social interaction that MOW clients have is when their meal is delivered to their door.
As of 2024 the Meals-On-Wheels program is supervised by a paid coordinator and serves approximately 45 clients that are distributed among 4 different routes within the Hanover Borough. Volunteers contribute their time to ensure that each route is covered and that meals are delivered to the homebound clients we serve. Each route is equipped with a driver, who donates their vehicle and gasoline to deliver the meals, along with a runner, who rides along and helps to walk the meal to the client’s home. Volunteers help to pack meals in recyclable, reusable containers, which are then placed in an insulated bag for transporting, to help keep the meals warm for the clients. The drivers and runners then pick up the meals from the Hanover Area Council of Churches around 10:30am and begin delivering them to the clients designated on their route. This program is always looking for volunteer drivers and runners to continue delivering meals to the homebound community in need.
