Volunteers Needed in Carroll County to Deliver Meals
The Drive for Volunteers in Carroll County
Recruiting
Neighbors to Help the Homebound in the Age of COVID-19
NASHVILLE,
April 6, 2020 -- The coronavirus has upended lives all across Tennessee,
disrupting citizens’ health, work, education, family time -- and even their
ability to help out their neighbors.
The
disruption has reached Carroll County
too, as social service organizations are finding themselves short of their
usual corps of dependable volunteers who drive meals to homebound older adults.
Many
of the volunteers are older citizens themselves and must be especially mindful
of the COVID-19 threat. And with the
steady progress of the coronavirus across Tennessee, support organizations must
plan for the growing possibility that even more of their volunteers will be
unable to contribute in coming weeks.
The
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability has a plan.
It has
boosted its efforts to recruit a new corps of volunteers to meet the growing
demand, especially for people who rely on the regular delivery of nutritious
meals to their homes.
In the
past week alone, more than 300 Tennesseans have contacted the commission and
passed the background checks necessary to become the type of neighbor who is
willing to drive a hot meal to an older adult’s home and make sure that
everyone is OK.
Carroll County is facing a shortage of volunteer delivery drivers, and the
commission is working to rally more people to the cause.
Follow this link to the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability website: https://www.tn.gov/aging/learn-about/volunteer-opportunities.html.
The
page will guide volunteers through the quick registration process.
Or
call to speak to a recruiter: 615-557-7202.
Once volunteers have been vetted to ensure they meet the state’s safety requirements, Carroll County and Tennessee will be able to react much more quickly to a potential shortfall in volunteers.