THE UPBEAT
Meals on Wheels volunteer delivers with a smile while on her bicycle,
In today’s world there always seems to be a push to go green, be healthy and get involved. Well, by volunteering with Meals on Wheels to deliver meals via bike, all three can be done over the lunch hour.
Andrea Bacsfalusi has been an avid cyclist her whole life and has put her passion into use over the past four years by helping deliver meals to people in her community.
Once every two weeks, Bacsfalusi takes a long lunch break from work to deliver up to 10 meals. In the winter she takes her car, but as soon as the piles of snow and patches of ice clear up, she opts for her preferred form of transportation.
Meals on Wheels relies on more than 500 volunteers to deliver hot and frozen meals to seniors, adults with physical disabilities or individuals recovering from surgery in the area. It is the nutritional support and assistance of the volunteers that helps them to maintain their health and independence at home.
“On a spring, summer or fall day, you’re biking around, not adding any sort of carbon footprint whatsoever and delivering meals while getting some exercise,” Bacsfalusi said. “It is a lot of fun and you just feel like you are making a difference in a small way.”
Bacsfalusi is one of five volunteers who bike to deliver meals but the organization would like to see more.
Terry Moxness is the manager of volunteer services at Meals on Wheels and says the organization provides volunteers with the appropriate training and equipment needed to deliver by bicycle.
“Delivering meals by bicycle is a great way to get exercise while doing something good for both the environment and the community,” she said.
“We even have a custom-made bike trailer being designed in time for deliveries this spring.”
Moxness hopes the expansion will spark an interest for younger volunteers to get involved as well.
“The biking program allows Meals on Wheels to practise environmental sustainability while drawing a younger demographic into the program,” Moxness added.
Bacsfalusi works full time and says that Meals on Wheels does an excellent job of working with her schedule. She can finish her route and be back to work in two hours and finds that biking ends up being faster than when she takes her car.
“I don’t have tons of time to volunteer so, for me, this is an easy and rewarding way to do something that fits within my schedule,” she said.
“It is a great way to get to know Ottawa and to get to know people in Ottawa and connect with those you wouldn’t normally connect with.”
For people who are interested in volunteering with Meals on Wheels, please call 613-233-2424.