Chuck Erhardt of Carney’s Point tells us about his journey to becoming a volunteer.
” My grandmother was a Meals on Wheels client when I was in high school. While she appreciated the healthy lunch, what she really enjoyed was the visit from a MOW volunteer. Being homebound, that meant a lot to her. I had feeling that one day I’d volunteer for MOW because I saw first-hand that their work made a difference.
It’s important for me to give back to our community. Salem County is my home. Making connections –whether it’s with clients, fellow volunteers or MOW staff — is also meaningful. Plus, it feels great to volunteer, knowing you’ve put a smile on someone’s face.
It’s amazing that although we meet with our clients briefly only once a month, we’ve become close with many of them. Our feelings are often reciprocated: We’re concerned if someone is off on particular day, but if one of our team is not delivering, a client will frequently ask where they are and if they’re ok.
I work at Salem Community College with a great group of people. My fellow MOW volunteers Laura Green, Jill James(pictured), Alicia Smith and I are fortunate that the College supports our efforts, providing flexible scheduling on our delivery days. In my spare time, I grow Christmas trees on my farm, Brookside Farm, which has been in my family since the 1800s. “