Today, we hosted our sixth annual Meals on Wheels (MOW) Blitz in Dallas, with 398 Employees taking a few hours of their day to run 126 routes, and deliver 1,953 meals to seniors in need. Thanks to the efforts of these volunteers, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) saved the costs for the 12 paid drivers who normally deliver those meals. This means an additional senior will be fed for a year and a half by MOW.
Southwest’s journey with Meals on Wheels began in 2002, when a few Employees were looking for a way to give back to our community. As a previous volunteer with the organization, I knew what an impact volunteering made not only on the lives of those receiving meals, but on the volunteers themselves. After setting up routes with the VNA, we began by delivering meals once a week. Employees rotate shifts throughout the year, volunteering as much time as they can to give back. Eventually, the giving hearts of our Employees allowed us to take on two routes per week. Our first “official” blitz was in 2009, and since then we have delivered 9,265 meals on 843 routes, allowing nine seniors to be removed from the waiting list.
Our volunteers, or “MOWers,” as I like to call them, deliver so much more than just a meal. They deliver warmth and happiness, and they make sure the people we’re helping are doing okay week to week. So many of the people on our routes are thrilled just to have someone to chat with. The relationships we build with them are absolutely incredible, and all of this can be done in just two hours.
I am so proud to have Coworkers with such big hearts.
Volunteers sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the Meals on Wheels Blitz
SWA volunteers show their Servant’s Heart during the Meals on Wheels Blitz
Volunteers load cars with meals ready to be delivered during the Meals on Wheels Blitz
Drivers delivering meals are sent off in Southwest style during the Meals on Wheels Blitz