When Stephen Burness retired from his law practice, he wanted to find ways to continue helping people in his community. Steve’s wife, Diane, knew of volunteer opportunities at Milestone Senior Services and suggested that they both look into it. That was three years ago, and they have been a tandem Meals on Wheels delivery team ever since.
Meals on Wheels is a home delivered meal program operated by Milestone Senior Services throughout Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties which provides meals to the doorstep of older adults and adults with disabilities who are unable to provide adequate nutrition for themselves. There are 32 meal delivery routes across the two counties, and it would not be possible to provide this vital service if not for the dedication of the volunteers who deliver the meals.
Steve and Diane chose to sign up for a regular route – they do “Route 7” in Kalamazoo every Tuesday which covers the area around Western Michigan University and the Arcadia area. Volunteers for Meals on Wheels can sign up for whatever schedule suits them – some, like Steve and Diane are once a week, some volunteers prefer once a month, and some are “on call” as needed. Steve and Diane have the time and are willing to put a few hours aside each Tuesday to make this commitment.
While the obvious benefit of Milestone’s Meals on Wheels program is meeting people’s nutritional needs, the other, less obvious, benefit is providing a “wellness check” each weekday. Many Meals on Wheels participants live alone and the volunteer might be the only person they see some days. The volunteers are required to see someone at each stop, so they know everything is okay. Steve recalls a client who had limited mobility and lived a fairly isolated life; he would leave his door unlocked for meal deliveries and the volunteer would come in and deliver the meal to his kitchen. One day Steve went in and faintly heard the client calling for help – the gentleman had fallen out of bed and was unable to get up or reach his phone – if not for Steve, who knows how long he may have remained there on the floor in distress.
Steve and Diane are both registered as RSVP volunteers. RSVP is an AmeriCorps Seniors program which connects people 55 and older to volunteer opportunities in their community. Milestone Senior Services facilitates the RSVP program throughout Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties and is connected to more than 30 non-profit organizations in need of volunteers.
Steve is also an RSVP volunteer at the Shepard Center, which is another organization serving older adults in Kalamazoo County. The Shepard Center provides personalized transportation to people 60 and older to get to and from health-related appointments. Steve has put his Monday’s aside to be a driver for the Shepard Center, and due to the high volume of need, he is called upon to provide transportation each week.
Steve enjoys volunteering and feels it’s everyone’s responsibility to help where there’s a need. He feels as much gratitude to the agencies he supports as they have for him. Steve said, “I know there is a need and if I can help out, I should – the world works better that way. I just feel like people are good and they want to help each other. People who have time should pick up the phone and volunteer.”
If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity in your community, you can pick up the phone and call Milestone Senior Services. Through the AmeriCorp Seniors RSVP program, Milestone can connect you to volunteer opportunities throughout the community. Call Milestone today at 269-382-0515 or visit our volunteer page.
