This seasonal update includes important reminders and changes to help keep deliveries smooth and safe for you, our clients, and our team.
General
➢ New Automatic Kitchen Door: After more than a decade of use, the kitchen door lock wore out and needed to be replaced. In response to volunteer feedback, we’ve installed a new automatic door with a window and motion sensor. To open it, just wave or gesture in front of the sensor!
We’ll be celebrating the new door with a ribbon-cutting and fundraiser on Wednesday, July 16th at 1:00 PM in the Dining Room. Chef Joseph will provide refreshments — we’d love for you to join us!
Note: During delivery hours, we’ll keep the door propped open. There’s no need to close it.
➢ Return Milk Crates: If you have a milk crate used for frozen meals, please return it to the rack in the kitchen hallway or hand it to a staff member. Crates left outside may be picked up by the Shamrock milk delivery company.
➢ Mileage Logs for Multiple Routes: If you drive more than one route in a month, try to record all your mileage on a single log sheet. This helps us tally your mileage more accurately. Substitute drivers: you can store your log sheet in the pouch above the clipboard return table between routes.
➢ Heater Placement in Hot Packs: We’ve returned to placing the heating unit at the bottom of the hot pack, underneath the meals, instead of on the side. This setup helps food temperatures hold more consistently. Please pull meal trays from the bottom of the stack whenever possible. Keep an eye out for alternate meals—these are always placed on top for clients with food allergies or special dietary needs.
Before Your Route
➢ Confirm Meal and Milk Counts: Please double-check the number of hot, cold, frozen, and Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs) before leaving. Clients sometimes cancel as late as 9:00 AM, and we may not have time to update the paperwork. If something seems off, count again and check with a Client Services team member to confirm if it still appears incorrect.
➢ Animeals Pet Food: If your route shows a pet food delivery but there’s no bag of food on your clipboard, ask a Client Services team member for assistance.
➢ Staff Help with Loading: A staff member will assist you at the kitchen door. For safety, please stay outside the kitchen hallway and allow them to lift and move the heavy coolers—especially those on the top row. We’ve had coolers fall before, and we want everyone to stay safe.
During Your Route
➢ Drive Safely: You represent Meals on Wheels when you’re out on your route. Please drive carefully, follow traffic laws, and be courteous to others on the road.
Note: Law enforcement often monitors Rosser Street at the start of the school year. Please be sure to follow posted speed limits.
➢ Never Leave Meals Outside: Meals should never be left outside a client’s home, even if requested by the client. If the client’s door is unlocked, but they are not home, call Client Services. They may direct you to place the meal in the client’s refrigerator. Do not leave the meal on a countertop.
