Father-son team brings a family connection to volunteering with Meals on Wheels It’s not always easy to carve out family time but a father and son have found a way to do it in a way that even benefits the community. Corey McIntyre, father, and Luke, son, have become a valuable part of the Meals on Wheels organization after joining nine months ago. “Some of our volunteers had to make a difficult decision to take a break from their volunteer work in the program due to the pandemic,” says Kerri Daley, program manager, Home Support Services for Community Care. “Corey and Luke heard about our need and were quick to offer their help.” From the start of the pandemic last March to the end of last December, the organization’s volunteers delivered more than 28,000 meals to more than 400 of the most vulnerable people in our community. As a father, Corey can cite several things his son has learned through his involvement. For starters, Corey says 13-year-old Luke has seen first-hand the impact of volunteerism. “Volunteer work is so important in any community. There are many organizations providing incredibly important services which rely almost completely on volunteers,” Corey says. And Luke has learned the significance of being a volunteer. “Even at his age my son has come to realize we are fortunate to be living in this community,” Corey says. “He has always been one to step up and help out whenever and wherever it was needed, so volunteering seemed like a natural progression.” Volunteering for Meals on Wheels has given Luke the chance to hone his organizational skills, since Corey essentially lets his son run the show when they are out on a route. The junior team member navigates where to go next, and ensures that the proper meal components are delivered to the clients, while Dad takes on the role of driver and assembler of meals. Luke — whose interests extend to cars, Formula 1 racing, hockey and gaming — sums it up by saying, “I like helping the clients, and it’s cool to get to tell my
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GEOFF COLEMAN Writer-at-large
dad what to do.” The senior McIntyre notes, “The looks on many of the clients’ faces and the positive comments they make when their meals are delivered by someone his age are amazing to both see and hear. We both find it rewarding when we get to the end of the list knowing that everyone was delivered a delicious meal.” The time commitment is anywhere from an hour to upwards of two hours depending on the route. The father-son team notes it Volunteers Corey and Luke McIntyre. didn’t take long to realize that many clients rely on the program for a nutritious meal each day. I saw that first-hand when my own 90-year-old neighbour would be waiting, practically with knife and fork in hand, for his Meals on Wheels delivery. He was no cook, and even if he was, getting to the grocery store or figuring out how to arrange a delivery was a near impossibility, and standing by a stove or handling knives was becoming a hazard. However, he was able to live in his own home, independently until the last month of his life, due in part to regular, quality, affordable meal deliveries. Corey McIntyre has a parting piece of advice. “I would highly recommend getting involved to anyone who has been thinking about it. There is no doubt that for numerous reasons you brighten the days of many people when you help out in this manner. Anyone with a car, a couple of hours on their hands, and some decent organizational skills would be well suited for the role. The father-son time is an added bonus which I treasure.”
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