Division of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler visited Meals on Wheels of Wake County on August 21, 2009 and delivered meals to some of Wake County's homebound elderly. Joining him to make the deliveries was Director of the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) Dennis Streets and Audrey Edmisten, Nutrition Program Consultant with DAAS. Edmisten is a long-time volunteer for Meals on Wheels and coordinates the volunteers for their delivery route every Friday.

Secretary Cansler volunteered in support of Governor Perdue‘s and President Obama's "United We Serve" initiative. Cansler explained, "Through volunteer efforts we can help our neighbors. Meals on Wheels does a tremendous job. 150 volunteers per day deliver meals on 110 routes. I am here today to draw attention to volunteerism and encourage others to get involved. Government can't do everything, and as citizens we can help."

"United We Serve" is a nationwide service initiative that will help meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. With the knowledge that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when given the proper tools, President Obama is asking us to come together to help lay a new foundation for growth. This initiative aims to both expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage volunteers to develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects. United We Serve will grow into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life for all Americans.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of Meals on Wheels of Wake County. They deliver over 1,400 meals every weekday to our homebound senior neighbors. In addition to providing a meal, they also provide a friendly visit and check-up for our frailest citizens. Meals are delivered at noontime and a typical delivery route takes only an hour to complete. For more information about volunteering for Meals on Wheels, please call 833-1749 or visit our web site at www.wakemow.org.

Related Links

1. http://www,wakemow.org