I am beyond thrilled that Robbinsville Meals on Wheels is the recipient of our 9th annual “Pay it Forward” event on May 14 at The Stone Terrace by John Henry’s.
At its very core, Robbinsville Meals on Wheels is the personification of our mission to pay it forward with volunteers delivering more than 100,000 nutritious meals to homebound residents since being founded by former resident Josephine Parr in 1995.
Regardless of the circumstances and in any weather, the Robbinsville MOW program has been around for nearly 30 years, helping homebound residents to remain independent, maintain nutritional health, and encourages its clients to live their lives with dignity.
The mission of MOW, led by executive director Jodi Marra, is to deliver nutritious meals provided by New Jersey-based Whitson’s Food Service to Robbinsville residents who have physical, emotional, or social conditions that require a home delivered meal service. The clients may be homebound, chronically ill, convalescent, or disabled. They may stay on the program for a few weeks, months, or years.
Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers that is funded by personal and corporate donations. It does not receive government funding of any kind.
Client requirements are that the individuals must be Robbinsville residents and be homebound/unable to prepare meals for themselves. There is no age or income requirements. Meal recipients’ range in age from early 40s to over 100. Funds are now being raised for Robbinsville MOW through C.A.R.E., the Township’s 501c3 charitable arm, as we band together to help this extraordinary cause.
The program pays $6.09 per meal, which are prepared and organized by our Senior Center kitchen staff and delivered by a team of up to 15 volunteer drivers. But thanks to generous contributions over the past year, the meals have been offered free – and we want to keep it that way!
The program also offers an opportunity for important wellness checks for select clients. Depending on the finances of the program in any given year, we may ask our clients to pay a maximum of $3.50 per meal, but if clients cannot pay, we do not charge them. No one is turned away for financial reasons. MOW volunteers generously give their time and use of their cars to make deliveries. They even pay for their own gas.
Our past Pay it Forward recipients include the Shepherd Family, Quilts for Comfort, Deborah Dauer, C.A.R.E., Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, the We Love Our R’ville Neighbors campaign, the Breden Family and the McLaughin family. Since 2015, I’m proud to say those efforts have raised over $450,000.
Fundraising for this effort is now open and corporate sponsorships levels of $25,000 (Community Champion), $10,000 (Township Trailblazer), $5,000 (Hometown Hero), $2,500 (Township Partner), $1,500 (Beverage Sponsor) and $350 (We Love R’ville Neighbors Sponsor) are available (see flyer below). Individual tickets are $125, and $1,000 for a table of 10.
Kindly RSVP by May 3, 2024. Please make checks payable to C.A.R.E. and send to 2298 Route 33, Robbinsville, NJ 08691. Attn: Jodi Stephens. Please write “2024 Pay it Forward” in the check notes.
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By now many of you have either seen or heard from the Robbinsville Police Department about the recent break-ins at two of our residences, and the subsequent theft of vehicles via key fobs stolen from inside those homes. In case you missed the RTPD press release, here are just a few of the things you can do to help protect yourself and your property from these well-organized criminals.
• Ensure all doors, including interior garage doors, and windows are locked.
• Install a sliding glass door “blocking bar.” This can be done by inserting a metal or wooden bar or rod along your sliding door’s bottom track to prevent opening.
• Keep the exterior of your residence well illuminated.
• Activate your home and vehicle alarms.
• Do not leave key fobs in cars.
• Do not leave key fobs easily accessible or visible in the home.
• Remove any valuables from your vehicle or secure them so they are out of sight.
• Review home surveillance recordings regularly and share footage of suspicious activity with local law enforcement.
Dave Fried is the Mayor of Robbinsville Township
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