Meals Need Wheels

Tarrant Co. short on Meals on Wheels volunteers

Commentary
by Bruce Felps

Hear that rumbling out there? That’s the gastric sound of about 200 elderly Tarrant County residents without enough to eat.

The Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County organization has a shortage of volunteer drivers. Unfortunately, it has no shortage of elderly residents who depend on the program to eat.

In fact, the operation recently experienced an increase of needy applicants to the tune of more than double its enrollment, according to Wednesday’s Star-Telegram.

The start of the 2011-12 college school year took away multiple student volunteers, and the summer’s oppressive heat caused others to turn in their figurative keys. Now the agency is scrambling to fill the openings and keep clients off a potential waiting list because, as spokeswoman Denise Harris said, “You can't put people on a list and tell them to wait to eat."

Love that quote.

Other volunteers temporarily — they hope — fill the gaps but Meals on Wheels needs about 10, minimum, people to step up, sit down, and drive.

Call 817-336-0912 to, perhaps, save a life.


Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. He has a great deal of respect for Meals on Wheels born of a family situation.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NBC, NBC 5, NBCDFW.com or its employees.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us