Meals on Wheels Volunteers are Honored

NEWBURGH – Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh (MoW) hosted its 8th spring Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on April 20th to honor its volunteers and to celebrate Volunteer Week (April 16-21). Over 75 volunteers gathered at Meals on Wheels and enjoyed sandwiches and chips provided by Subway, 76 North Plank Road in the Town of Newburgh, and delicious Honeycrisp apples donated by Hudson River Fruit Distributors in Milton.

“We hold these informal luncheons every 6 months – sandwiches in the spring, pizza in the fall – to show our appreciation to all of our volunteers who help in the kitchen, the office, on special occasions and – of course – delivering the meals,” said MoW President Carole McDermott.

“Our luncheon theme this spring,” said Executive Director Robin Bello, “was ‘Caps Off to Our Volunteers.’ Everyone received a colorful cap as a party favor.”

The spring luncheons are timed to coincide with Volunteer Week, a worldwide celebration of volunteers that is headed in the United States by the Points of Light Foundation. Frederica Warner, who founded Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh, was honored in 2002 by the United States Congress for being one of the “thousand points of light” alluded to by President George H.W. Bush. Warner, 100 years old, attended the April 20th luncheon, where she received a rousing round of applause.

Meals on Wheels volunteers have been delivering meals in the City and Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor since 1972. For more information on how to volunteer, or to apply to receive meals, visit www.mealsonwheelsnewburgh.org or phone 845-562-3490 on weekday mornings. Contributions, which are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law, are always appreciated and may be mailed to Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 2615, Newburgh, NY 12550 or donated online at their website.