The Goldsboro News-Argus staff delivers
By From staff reports
Published in News on October 1, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Dale Harris loads meals into the trunk of his car Friday morning as he waits for his wife, Issi, so that they can begin their Meals on Wheels route. They have been volunteering at WAGES for about five years.
Beginning on Monday, pairs of News-Argus employees from every department met at the WAGES building on Royall Avenue to deliver meals. Brownie Doss, WAGES Director for Older Adult Services, said that the organization needs between 40 and 50 people every day to serve everyone on its list.
"We serve around 350 meals a day, all over the city and the county," Doss said. "During the year, we have around 800 different volunteers, and we had around 319 last month."
To reach those numbers, WAGES is constantly in need of volunteers. Groups like the News-Argus pitch in at points all throughout the year, and many are given the opportunity to volunteer once a month.
The bulk of the volunteers, however, are simply individuals from all over the county who give their time to help those in need, Doss said. Some come from civic groups and churches, while others come without any affiliation whatsoever.
For those at the News-Argus, the chance to serve the community was welcome, said human resources manager Suzan Starling.
"The News-Argus is very proud to be able to give back to our community, and we were happy to be a part of Meals on Wheels," she said.
Doss said that volunteers form the backbone of the Meals on Wheels mission.
"Often times, those volunteers are the most important people," she said. "This program is very important for allowing these seniors to stay at home, and often the volunteers will be the only people they see all day."
Anyone interested in volunteering can call volunteer coordinator Andrea Bone at 919-580-1790.