Meals on Wheels seeks site coordinator to help serve Renton seniors

“It’s fun. It’s rewarding. It’s a way to give back.”

By Joshua Solorzano • September 20, 2024 7:30 am

The Renton Meals on Wheels program is looking for a volunteer site coordinator to aid their mission of serving hungry seniors in Renton.

Melissa Pallanes is the program manager for Meals on Wheels, which has programs in various King County cities, including Renton, where it has 93 clients. Pallanes said Meals on Wheels is one of Sound Generations’ food security programs for people 60 or older who are primarily homebound.

Pallanes said participants are offered over 30 different frozen meal options, and every Wednesday, a driver delivers seven to 14 meals to an enrolled senior. There is a $6 suggested donation per meal, but Pallanes said no one is turned away due to an inability to donate.

At the Renton site, Pallanes said Meals on Wheels has struggled to find a new site coordinator for the last nine months, leading them to have an office staff member fill the position, which disrupts their small team’s operations. She said the coordinator oversees the site’s activities, needs to be available on-site Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and preferably has long-term availability.

Pallanes said at the Renton site, there are callers who call and take orders, nine delivery routes, a weekly driver for each route, and people who pack the orders. She said the site coordinator would oversee the operations to ensure everything goes smoothly and arrange for backup drivers to fill spots when one of the weekly drivers can’t help that day.

Pallanes said the site coordinator does not necessarily have to have managerial experience. She said the ideal candidate is organized, friendly, and wants to make a difference and help people.

“It’s fun. It’s rewarding. It’s a way to give back. I have a quote from a volunteer who said, ‘If only they knew how rewarding it is,’” Pallanes said. “We’re very fortunate. We have about 320 volunteers, and many of them stay around for many years. So, I think that shows that it is very rewarding work, and people feel very connected to the mission and to the clients that we’re serving, no matter what position they’re doing.”

Pallanes said the environment at the Renton site is fun and busy because they do everything there. She said when someone wants to know what Meals on Wheels is like, she thinks of the Renton site.

“It’s a fun site where they do everything. In the sort of lunch room in the center, we set up tables and the meals get delivered there. So the packers come, and then the drivers start to arrive, and the callers are in the office,” Pallanes said. “It’s a very fun atmosphere. We have a bunch of people who are very dedicated and caring, and it’s just a nice atmosphere to be in.”

Pallanes said if someone is interested in the site coordinator position, they can apply on the Sound Generation website, or they can call 206-448-5767.