By Nicole Long, MSW, LICSW
CEO of Old Colony Elder Services 

April is National Volunteer Month – a time to celebrate individuals who generously donate their time and effort to make a difference in the lives of others and in our communities.
At Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), we are grateful for all of our volunteers who assist us in providing essential services to older adults, individuals with disabilities and others throughout the 23 communities we serve in Plymouth County and surrounding towns.
OCES has more than 800 dedicated volunteers supporting several programs. Volunteers for the money management program assist older adults and individuals with disabilities with bill-paying, reconciling bank statements, and in special cases negotiating debt with creditors.
The majority of OCES volunteers serve our nutrition program. With the help of more than
600 Nutrition Program volunteers, OCES delivers more than 2,200 nutritious meals every weekday, 550,000 meals each year, to older adults affected by food insecurity and social isolation in our service area as part of its Meals on Wheels Program.
Meals on Wheels nationwide
According to Meals on Wheels of America, the Meals on Wheels network of community-based programs across the country collectively serves more than 251 million meals to 2.2 million seniors annually.
March for Meals is Meals on Wheels America’s national campaign. It recognizes the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program, the federal legislation that provides funding for nutrition services for seniors and helps support programs such as Meals on Wheels.
Food insecurity is on the rise among older adults
As the number of older adults experiencing food insecurity continues to rise, the need for senior nutrition services and Meals on Wheels increases. Essentially, more nutrition program and Meals on Wheels volunteers are needed to help serve, pack, and deliver the meals. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver 15-20 meals a day, Monday to Friday, to older adults in our service area. 
Volunteers make a difference
Interested in helping others? Consider joining OCES’s volunteer team and enhancing people’s lives in your community. Opportunities include volunteering at one of our meal sites or delivering meals for two hours, at least one to two days a week. For more information, contact the OCES volunteer department, 508-584-1561.
OCES is a nonprofit organization providing in-home and community-based services for older adults and people living with disabilities in Southeastern Massachusetts. For more information about all volunteer opportunities, visit ocesma.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities.
Source: Meals on Wheels America. (n.d.) The escalating issue of senior hunger. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/learn-more/the-issue