Meals on Wheels

Become a Volunteer

By clicking on “Sign up to Volunteer,” you can fill out our application and sign into our database, allowing us to connect with you and become a member of our volunteer team! We sincerely thank all volunteers for their dedication and commitment to making a positive impact in the community through Meals on Wheels/ La Popote roulante (Ottawa). Your selfless contributions truly make a difference and help us in our mission to support our vulnerable clients in need of our community.

Make a difference in your community –
Become a Meals on Wheels Volunteer!

Every year over 400 volunteers are needed to make our operation run smoothly, contributing more than 24,000 hours of service in central Ottawa.

Volunteers are the vital link in our service and add an immeasurable human value to the quality of what we do.  Our screened and trained volunteers also provide a personal contact, a safety check, as well as an interested daily visitor.

We have kitchens across the city that provide hot food for our program. Volunteers can pick up the meals close to where they live or work!

Contact us to find out where your time and talents can be invested in our agency.

What do I need to know before volunteering?

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and come from diverse backgrounds. It takes a dedicated team of over 400 screened and trained volunteers to help feed our community in Ottawa on a daily basis.

Here’s how to become part of the Meals on Wheels team:

  • Fill out the online application 
  • Participate in a short interview online, by phone or in person with one of our Volunteer Department staff.
  • Attend an orientation session to learn more about the program.
  • Obtain a Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check (we will provide you with a volunteer letter to waive processing fees and assist you through the process).
  • Provide two reference checks (you must have known them for a year and not be family).
  • Be at least 18 years of age or be accompanied by a parent or guardian when delivering meals.
  • Participate in on-the-job and ongoing training.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

  • Flexible schedules and commitments based on your availability.
  • Mileage reimbursement (for drivers).
  • The option to volunteer as a family, with friends or with co-workers.
  • Ask us about our Corporate Delivery Program!
  • An invitation to our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.
  • A chance to meet people and make new friends!

Volunteering testimonials

“I want to and I enjoy supporting my community. It’s only two hours per shift and it makes a big impact on the clients’ lives. The clients are always grateful. And the simple act of delivering a meal and asking, “How are you?” might be the only interaction they get that day.” – Christine J.

“For me, volunteer work gives me a purpose for my life. After spending 46 years working in health care and being a front line care giver, I needed an environment where the need to provide care to seniors could be met. Meals on Wheels volunteers are another set of eyes and ears  for the very frail and lonely, and  I am glad that I am a team member.” Gurdeep D. 

“Everyone that I deliver to enjoys our service and loves the meals… and our smiles! The organization is amazing and it runs very very smoothly considering the amount of people we deliver to on a daily basis” – MOW volunteer

 

Did you know?

In the Fall of 1968, Island Lodge (now Garry J. Armstrong Centre) offered to provide 24 meals each day and now has the distinction of being the longest serving meal provider.