135 Hoyt Street Athens, GA 30601 (706) 549-4850 Volunteer Opportunities Make a Donation Support Groups Athens Community Council on Aging is a United Way of Northeast Georgia agency.

HOME DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM (Meals on Wheels) The Home Delivered Meals Program is one of the services provided by the Athens Community Council on Aging. The Home Delivered Meals Program helps foster independent living and prevents premature or unnecessary institutionalization of disabled and older adults. These meals, delivered at noontime, are designed to provide one-third of an adult's daily nutritional requirements. We are able to serve both regular and modified (diabetic) meals. Barrow County Home Delivered Meals In order to be eligible to receive Home Delivered Meals in our Barrow County Program, a person must reside in Barrow County and be a recipient of services under the Community Care Services Program, which is funded by Medicaid. People receiving services under Community Care have been certified by their physician to need the level of care provided by a nursing home, but they have chosen to remain in their own homes with supportive services. Home Delivered Meals under Community Care/Medicaid are always provided in conjunction with other services such as Personal Support Service (Homemaker and Personal Care), Adult Day Care, Emergency Response Systems, Respite Care, medical therapies or non-emergency transportation. A hot noon meal is provided Monday and Wednesday and frozen meals are provided for the other weekdays and for evenings and weekends for those who need additional nutritional support. Clarke County Home Delivered Meals In order to be eligible to receive Home Delivered Meals in our Clarke County Program, a person must reside in Athens-Clarke County and be at least 18 years of age (with preference going to those aged 60 and over), and have either a physical or mental disability that prevents him/her from doing meal preparation. A hot noon meal is provided Monday thru Friday. Frozen meals may also be provided for evenings and weekends to those people who need additional nutritional support. In Clarke County, we deliver approximately 175-185 meals per day. Our local funding is what enables us to provide this level of service. The citizens and organizations of Athens-Clarke County are very responsive to the needs of our elderly residents. Volunteer Opportunities Meals on Wheels are delivered by volunteers. To be a volunteer, one must be available one day per week between the hours of 11 AM and 12:30 PM. We are always in need of substitute volunteers. These are people who volunteer on an as-need basis. Substitute volunteers are trained in at least one route and deliver when the regular volunteer is otherwise unable to do so. Volunteers must be willing to make a commitment of a least three months, have a car with proof of insurance and a current driver's license. An initial orientation is held in the office with the Home Delivered Meals Manager. On the day of the week the volunteer has chosen, the Manager or another volunteer familiar with the route accompanies the new volunteer on the route. During the initial route training, the new volunteer is instructed on directions to the client's home, trained in the delivery procedure and introduced to each client. The new volunteer will be accompanied on the route as many times as needed until the volunteer is comfortable enough to take it alone. Volunteers are never sent out without complete orientation and training! A meal route usually takes about one to two hours to complete. Those volunteers aged 55 and older are automatically signed up with the Council on Aging's Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.). In this way the hours of service given count not only for the Home Delivered Meals Program, but also for R.S.V.P. For further information regarding Barrow County, contact the Home Delivered Meals Program at 678-425-0718. The Athens-Clarke County Home Delivered Meals Program can be reached at 706-549-4850.