Our family’s first meal deliveries went well, thanks to several helpful hints from DGT and only one comical mistake on my part. I highly recommend adopting this low time commitment and high reward volunteer opportunity to anyone looking for something to slip into their regular routine.

We signed up for our first delivery weeks ago. We practiced our door knocking technique so much that it became a favorite game in our backyard.

“Knock knock. It’s Meaws on Wheews!” Shouts Little Miss Two.

Big Sis opens the playhouse door and graciously accepts her offer of a sandbox cupcake.

“You’re we’come.” Little Miss Two says with a wave. “Have a nice day.

With all this practice, I shouldn’t be surprised that our first meal deliveries were successful. But I was… I really was!

The deliveries happen between 10:45 and noon, mealtime obviously, which happens to coincide with the lowest blood sugar and sleep levels for both girls. It’s a tough hour even when we’re all safely confined to our own backyard.

Between the summer heat, hunger, and a pending nap, we could have had multiple meltdowns. We could have had a tantrum at some hungry stranger’s doorstep.

We didn’t though, and credit must be given to the helpful suggestions in the Meals on Wheels handbook (prepared with the help of DGT). These tricks were critical:

• Practice (our backyard playhouse was the perfect stage);
• Pack snacks, water, and toys for the car (they were starving and thirsty between every delivery);
• Talk about the different kinds of people you’re likely to meet; and
• Ask for a route that includes a few apartment stops, to minimize getting in and out of the car (the kids had fun hunting for apartment numbers too!).

As a treat, we went out to lunch after the deliveries, which we almost never do. I attempted to talk through the discussion questions in the handbook, but by then the girls were tired.

The only thing Big Sis wanted to say was, “What I liked best was the whole thing!”

Little Miss Two backed her up, “What I wiked best was all da gwampas and gwamas!”

For the sake of full disclosure, I should share our one little snafu. It was minor, and totally the fault of my hyperdrive brain trying to keep track of the girls and their snacks and the panda bear Little Miss Two insisted on bringing along.

The folks at MOW gave us highly detailed driving directions, including details about where the specialty diet meals or desserts should go. Unfortunately, I didn’t take in every single detail as well as I would have liked.

On our last delivery, we were short one milk!

As it turns out, one of our previous stops was marked “no beverage,” but I hadn’t noticed. Luckily, this was an easy, if socially awkward fix. And one that was probably confusing for the poor man whose lunch we interrupted a few minutes after running to a nearby gas station for an extra milk.

At least I didn’t have to track down an extra spaghetti with meatballs! Next time I’ll pay equal attention to all three parts of our meal deliveries.

Given that several of our visits were brightened by the offer of hard candy in a crystal dish, just like the one my great grandma kept, I’m not surprised that the girls enjoyed it. Most of the people we visited thanked me for bringing the kids, and enjoyed talking with them for a few minutes.

This was an exceptional experience, and we will definitely be doing it again.

Tags: Free, Improving Lives, Meals on Wheels

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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