The program began on Nov. 7 with 44 meals delivered to 29 addresses, and will continue through the winter until March 2022, said organizer John Smith of the Weyburn Church of Christ. On Nov. 21, the group delivered 65 meals, and had 14 drivers who volunteered to deliver them.
With volunteers from each of the churches, people are preparing the food, packaging it into meals and delivering it. Prior to COVID, the community meals were hosted at the Knox Hall, but with the restrictions in place, now the meals are packaged up and taken to the homes of those who request one.
The other churches involved include Knox Presbyterian, Grace United, the Catholic Women’s League, Zion Lutheran, Weyburn Free Methodist, Calvary Baptist and Wheatland Community Church.
To receive a meal or meals, agencies or friends can recommend people, or those who would like a hot meal delivered can phone Smith to request one. There is no charge, but each recipient will be contacted for delivery information, or other info such as any allergies or other diet requirements.
“So far, the amount of volunteers is meeting the demand for meals,” said Smith. “We have anywhere from 10 to 12 drivers who deliver the meals, with each one usually delivering two. If we have lots of meals to deliver, they will come back again to deliver more.”
The meals are delivered between 5 and 5:30 p.m., and if a recipient happens to not be at home, the meals can be left as they are packaged.
The meals are usually provided by those who volunteer to make the food, he noted, so the main expenses for the program is to buy the packaging for the meals. If there is enough money available, they might buy something like fruit to add to the meals, he said.
People who want to request a meal can register with Smith at 306-891-4123, and those who want to volunteer to package or prepare food, they can also call that number as John’s wife Jane is coordinating those efforts each Sunday.
“This is being offered as a co-operative effort by the churches in the community,” he said, adding, “We also welcome any community volunteers. We have a number of students who need volunteer hours, so they come and help with deliveries. We had some last year who made cookies, and that time was counted as volunteer hours.”
If someone wants to donate to the program and needs a tax receipt, they can donate through one of the participating churches and indicate what the funds are going towards.
