Meals on Wheels celebration with special drivers

For 40 years in Tampa, Meals on Wheels has been on time.

Until last week, when weeks of pounding rain drove flood waters up high enough to keep volunteer drivers off the roads. For the first time in four decades, Meals on Wheels had to call the recipients on their food list and tell them to use the emergency food supplies in their provided disaster kits.

But, the sun is out this week, which means the volunteers are back on the routes.

“As soon as I get my schedule, I look at it and look at who’s going to be there,” said Paul Jeske, who has been delivering meals since 1982. “I haven’t driven around the world yet but I’ve driven a good 2/3 of it.”

On this day, Jeske drops off food with six different people. He knows them all by name and is greeted with a smile at each visit.

“They just lighten up my life,” said one woman who was delighted to see chicken parmigiana arrive at her doorstep on Wednesday. “I make sure I’m ready every day 10 o’clock every morning because I need them. I really do.”

Jeske stopped at three different apartment complexes and three street addresses on his hour-long trip. He delivers food at least once a week around the Meals on Wheels Hillsborough Avenue offices. He’s just one of the many volunteers that keeps the organization rolling.

“I’d say probably 800-900. Our volunteers are great,” said Executive Director, Stephen King.

Director of Communications, Lauren Vance pointed to a giant coverage map on the kitchen wall, explaining, “These little red dots signify all of our recipients. There’s about 650 red dots on this board.”

Last year, Meals on Wheels drivers collectively drove over 153,000 miles in Tampa alone, handing out 237,250 hot meals to seniors or home-bound people who may not have access to any other healthy food that day.

Jeske emphasized that the Meals on Wheels program is not a handout. Recipients typically pay for the food that is delivered, as much as $4.75 per meal. One in seven seniors in Tampa are considered food insecure, meaning they don’t have access to enough healthy foods.

It’s why Jeske has delivered over 35,000 himself in the past 33 years. He just can’t sit back and not help.

“How can you not have a better day had you not delivered a meal,” he said.