Pleasant Hills / South Park area Meals on Wheels feeds those who need it most.
Catering to the
Pleasant Hills / South Park area Meals on Wheels feeds those who need it most.
By W. B. Fresa
Pleasant Hills / South Park area MOWs volunteers prepare cold foods in kitchen for clients; when finished, they will then prepare hot foods to be taken to clients in insulated bags by volunteer drivers and delivery persons.
From left are: Marcia Nesti, Ginny Kasserman, Pam Mason( CEO, site coordinator, and cook), Karen Dollens, and Sherry Cypher Pastorius.
As director of the Pleasant Hills / South Park area Meals on Wheels( MOWs), Pam Mason welcomed 40 children and their parents into her facility for a tour.
“ The kids were second through fourth graders from Bethel Park who were learning about volunteerism. I showed them all about what we do and they also brought in canned goods to donate to our pantry,” says Mason.“ They were very excited to be here. I showed them the kitchen and how we cook the food. I also had a craft table set up so the kids could make a placemat for our clients to use at home. And they asked terrific questions— one that stood out to me:‘ Why do these people need food?’ I was a little taken aback because it never dawned on me anyone wouldn’ t know that some people don’ t always have easy access to food.”
But of course Mason knows why all too well. As a 30-year volunteer, and now director, program manager and cook for the Pleasant Hills / South Park MOWs, she can answer that question in her sleep.
“ Most of our clients are elderly, late 80s and 90s, and they are either immobile, can no longer drive, have no family close by or no family at all. So that’ s where we step in. We visit them once a day, Monday through Friday, and deliver three meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner to help keep them fed and make sure they’ re OK,” she explains.“ It’ s the most rewarding work I’ ve ever done.”
It’ s rewarding for the clients, too. Currently, the Pleasant Hills / South Park MOWs lists 75 clients on its roster. While it delivers to only 55 on a daily basis, it’ s still a large client list that covers areas in Bethel Park, Baldwin, Jefferson Hills, Whitehall and all of Pleasant Hills and South Park. And Mason admits none of it would be possible without the 100 volunteers.
“ I couldn’ t do my job without them,” she says.“ Their loyalty to this program and the clients is without bounds. They use their own cars, pay their own gas and do everything out of the goodness of their hearts. They are wonderful people.”
The food prepared for the clients is also a labor of love cooked by Mason and some of the volunteers. She cooks in a county-certified kitchen in the basement of Grace Lutheran
SP MOWs volunteers assemble food packages for clients. More than 35,000 such packages were distributed last year.
Food constantly arrives from area stores and food banks to MOWs’ storage area. Contributions of food( or cash to purchase food) are always welcome, as are volunteers to put food in the storage area.
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“ It’ s the most rewarding work