Meals on Wheels

Current volunteer opportunities

Role:
Volunteer Drivers

Purpose:
Deliver nutritious meals and provide a caring contact to seniors and adults with disabilities in Ottawa.

Volunteer Criteria: 

  • Have a valid driver’s license
  • Have access to a vehicle with a minimum $1 million liability insurance
  • Can deliver a route on their own OR with a passenger (must also go through volunteer training).
  • Have or be willing to apply for a Police Record Check – Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Check (less than 12 months)
  • Can commit to helping over a few months, at minimum
  • Can follow all new health and safety meal delivery protocols put in place due to COVID-19

Where:
Meals are delivered from our office located at 670 Albert St as well as other partner kitchens throughout central Ottawa.  Meals are delivered in our catchment area.

When:
There are multiple volunteer shifts available throughout the week. Each shift takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Shifts are currently as follows:

  • Tuesdays and Fridays: staggered start times between 10:10am – 12:30pm
  • Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays: start time approximately 11:00am

Time Commitment:
The volunteer commitment is flexible and is usually once a week or biweekly. Each shift is 2 hours. Some volunteers also help out on an “on call” basis.

Training:
 Volunteers will complete an orientation session, which will take approximately 30 minutes, and fill out necessary documents.

Contact:
For more information, please email: volunteer@mealsonwheels-ottawa.org

Thank you for supporting Meals on Wheels in this time of crisis and ensuring our essential service is able to continue. We look forward to connecting with you soon!

 

* NOTE: Meals on Wheels usually has multiple volunteer opportunities as listed below, however due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently only recruiting drivers (see above).  

Meals on Wheels volunteer opportunities include:

  • Drivers for our Hot Meal and Frozen Meal programs
  • Servers for our Hot Meal and Frozen Meal programs
  • Depot Drivers and Depot Assistants to transport meals to our depot pickup location
  • Bike Deliverers as part of our Meals on Two Wheels program.
  • Office Volunteers

Drivers and Servers deliver meals in both our hot meal and frozen meal programs. Drivers use their own vehicles or the Meals on Wheels van and ( if you wish) be paired up with a volunteer server. Servers do not need to have their own vehicle. Delivery of a route takes up to 2 hours.  During this short time, volunteers see the direct impact their help makes in the clients’ lives.

Depot Drivers with larger vehicles (SUV, minivan or wagon) are also needed for the depot run for four routes out to the west part of our catchment area.

 

 

In Spring and Summer, cyclists use their own bikes and our customized Meals on Wheels trailer for meal deliveries.

 

 

We also have a need for bilingual volunteers to help in the office assisting on the phones and providing administrative support.  Bilingual delivery volunteers are also a great asset so that we can provide the best service to our French speaking clients.

 

Our Board of Directors, individuals helping on various committees and special projects, as well as those serving as Ambassadors in the community round out our diverse and dedicated team of volunteers.

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

 

Did you know?

We hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) every September. Contact us if you would like to attend.