BARBERTON, Ohio — The sub-zero windchill temperatures on Tuesday did not stop volunteers from bringing food to people who count on the deliveries.
That includes Tina White, of Stow, a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio, a program of Vantage Aging.
White has about 20 people on her Barberton route, including 88-year-old Diana Logsdon.
On Tuesday morning, White brought the senior citizen a snack bag and a meal that included meatballs and marinara over bow tie pasta.
"Oh, my favorite," Logsdon said.
The senior receives the meals five days a week.
"When they created the Barberton route in 2024, I think I was the first person to sign up and I really love it," she said.
She also loves the company provided by the volunteers.
"Some days that's the only person I see or talk to all day," Logsdon said.
White made sure she was battle-ready for the frigid weather by bundling up.
"Coldest day of the year, here we are. I am bundled up. I've got layers on today: my sweatshirt, my t-shirts, your long underwear— you name it— it's on," White said.
White said most of the clients on her route are seniors, and she realizes it's hard for many of them to go outside when the weather gets this cold.
"For a lot of them, they may have walkers, wheelchairs, they're just homebound in a lot of situations," she said.
With that in mind, White believes the volunteer work is about much more than providing healthy meals.
She sees the visits as a chance to do wellness checks.
"We're just making sure that they're still coming to the door, they're standing, breathing— everything is fine," White said.
Logsdon is grateful that the drivers take the time to see how she's doing.
"My goodness, we're old and we fall and we have problems that come up," she said. "This is the system. It is marvelous."
Last year, Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio delivered 258,736 meals to 2,031 clients over 45 routes in Summit, Stark, Wayne, Portage and Tuscarawas counties.
The need remains great. Currently, the agency has a waiting list of 209 people.
Mobile Meals leaders said the waiting list is not due to a lack of ability to cook or deliver the food, but rather it's because of funding challenges.
About 35% of people in the program are funded through the Older Americans Act, another 35% through Medicaid waivers and the rest are funded by donations, private pay and other sources.
White also stressed that more volunteers are needed.
"You can just give two hours of your week, it's a wonderful, wonderful way to give back to our community."
