Volunteer appeal from Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels Winnipeg is short on volunteer drivers this summer, leaving the organization stretched to keep up with growing demand for food deliveries in the city’s core.

The non-profit organization, which provides meals to people who are unable to prepare them for themselves, says the shortage is largely the result of long-time volunteers stepping back due to age, health and retirement, combined with typical summer absences that have left gaps in service.

“We used to have these folks who would do these routes, same routes every week, every day, and now we don’t,” volunteer coordinator Adam Rout said.

Meals on Wheels typically operates with about 300 volunteers but is currently sitting at around 280. The shortage is being felt most acutely around the Health Sciences Centre in downtown Winnipeg.

The organization has 33 weekday routes available from HSC for the remainder of June and another 128 open throughout July and August. It is currently only accepting volunteers who can cover those routes.

“We can tell,” Rout said. “Any time we are under 300 (volunteers), you can definitely tell.”

About 50 per cent of Meals on Wheels clients are people living with mental health conditions or disabilities, client co-ordinator Kelly Scrivener said.

She said the program has shifted over time from a service primarily focused on seniors to one that increasingly supports younger clients dealing with mental health and disability-related challenges.

Demand has grown alongside that change, with Meals on Wheels averaging 24.6 new client starts per month in 2025 and 27.25 in 2026.

The non-profit delivered 176,300 meals last year, up from 160,600 in 2024.

“We wouldn’t be able to function if we didn’t have volunteers,” Scrivener said. “All of our meals are delivered by volunteers 365 days a year. They are our lifeline to make this happen.”

Rout said that recruiting drivers for the downtown core can be difficult.

“I’m hearing from a lot of folks that they are concerned about the issues that they see happening in the downtown and the core,” he said. “We understand that our volunteers encounter individuals facing homelessness and poverty and addiction while they’re out there doing deliveries.”

“There’s a little bit of discomfort there.”

Scrivener also said perceptions of the downtown core can influence whether people choose to volunteer.

“We try to remind them of the impact that they’re having on those individuals,” she said.

Despite those concerns, Rout said volunteers who deliver in the area consistently report positive experiences.

“(They’ve reported) meaningful experiences that they’re having with the folks that they’re delivering to in those areas, and that’s pretty much the norm,” Rout said.

“Nobody’s having any issues with what’s going on out there. Are they seeing all the issues out there? Absolutely. But it’s not directly impacting our volunteers.”

Scrivener added that if safety issues ever do arise, the organization responds as soon as it can and will adjust service routes if necessary.

There have been no major safety incidents involving Meals on Wheels drivers, said Rout.

New drivers are given an orientation before they hit the road and Rout performs regular check-ins with them.

“We tell our volunteers… just remember you’re playing an important role in the community, you’re offering kindness, you’re offering practical support,” he said.

“There are folks that just feel totally forgotten by the system, so the fact that we’re going out there and we’re making daily connections with these folks goes a long way to help their mental health and overall health.”

Deliveries run daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with most routes involving 10 to 17 stops and taking about 1.5 to two hours to complete. Volunteers are required to commit to a minimum of one route per month, with opportunities to take on additional shifts if available.

More information on how to apply is available at wfp.to/mealsonwheels.

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca