The familiar zipping sound whizzes through Meals on Wheels driver Todd Betscher’s Fleet car as he seals his cooler shut. He affectionately taps the top of it as he shuts the door and moves towards the driver’s seat.
“Honestly, I can’t deliver meals without my coolers,” says Todd. “So, to me, these are certainly a good investment and a great use of funding.”
Thanks to a grant from The West Chester Community Foundation, Community First Solutions purchased Todd and 14 other drivers new coolers. People aren’t the only ones who are benefitting from gifts, pets are too.
Meals on Wheels America recently awarded Community First Solutions a $2,500 grant to help its Meals on Wheels We All Love Our Pets program.
“Our pets are very important to us,” says Karen Dages Director of Social Services at Community First Solutions. “They are especially important to our Meals on Wheels clients. Their animals are often their primary source of love and companionship, so we wanted to take good care of them too.”
The funds will mainly be used to purchase food for more than 100 pets, while a small portion will go towards assisting eligible recipients’ veterinary bills.
“We prepare 135,000 meals for 459 clients and their pets each year. Grants, along with donations from the public, are our major sources of funding,” explains Dages. “As the largest provider of meals in Butler County, we want to help as many people as we possibly can. The more funding we can secure, the more people and pets we can help. These grants will certainly help us do that.”
If you would like to help support Meals on Wheels by making a donation or learn more about the program click here.