Volunteers feed Bella Vistans in need
Each day, Mike McGann keeps an eye out for the car bringing his lunch — partly as a result of anticipation and partly so he can meet the couple driving it before they try to walk down his steep driveway.
McGann, a retired chemist and current Bella Vistan, said he appreciates what the volunteers do and doesn’t want to saddle them with any extra effort or risk. He’s been getting meals through the Benton County Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels program for about a year and a half, he said, and it takes a significant load off his day to day life.
“Time doesn’t stop,” he said. McGann said, despite his retirement, he’s stayed busy taking care of his 3,200-square-foot house — a bit big for two people, he said, but great for visitors — as well as his ailing wife, Maye McGann. They’ve been married 36 years, he said.
“It just got to the point it was too much for me to take care of the house and take care of this and the cooking,” he said. “This has really helped us.”
John Whiting, the Senior Center’s director, said the program — Meals on Wheels of Northwest Arkansas, not to be confused with Meals on Wheels of Benton County — feeds roughly 275 people, 200 of which receive their food via delivery throughout Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista and portions of Centerton.
The food, he said, is made on a budget, but they try to get people decent meals. The biggest expense, he said, is protein. Higher quality meats, he said, are worth spending a bit extra, while vegetables can typically be done cheaper without sacrificing much quality.
Meals are made at the senior center, he said, before they’re shuttled out to those in need. The Bella Vista routes, he said, are shared among different churches in the
city which take turns providing volunteers for a month before passing it on to another church.
The operation is funded by donations, he said, and the organization asks a $3 donation with each delivery but will provide food either way.
The organization is always accepting donations, he said, but also needs a stronger pool of labor.
“We could do more and feed more people if we had volunteers,” Whiting said.
“That’s the issue; it’s just hard.”
Anyone interested in knowing more about the program, he said, should call the senior center at 479-273-7348, or show up in person at 3501 S.E. L St., in Bentonville.
One pair of volunteers, Kara and David Goshell, have been working with the program for roughly 12 years.
They started out taking meals to people, Kara Goshell said, then transitioned into coordinating deliveries. They show up early, she said, to organize all the different components — meals, drinks and fruit cups — and make sure
each delivery team has enough in its cooler to handle their whole route.
“It’s something that we just love doing, helping others,” she said.
They currently work through the Bella Vista Baptist Church, she said.
Bella Vista, she said, is divided into three routes, which are typically tackled by couples. It’s best to have a two-person team, she said, because one person can navigate and the other can focus on driving.
All these volunteers are working together, she said, to help get meals to people who might otherwise have
difficulty — be it financial, physical or time related — getting something to eat.
“This is a really worthwhile program,” Goshell said.
Mike McGann, who’s seen a third of his food preparation time freed up for other responsibilities, said he appreciates the work all these volunteers put in.
In his case, he said, it’s largely an issue of time, but others just need the help and he’s glad it’s there.
“It’s a good service and, unfortunately, a lot of people have a really hard time,” he said. “We’re just really blessed.”