Meals on Wheels in need of help, volunteers after Hurricane Helene

TAMPA, Fla. - An agency delivering help to seniors is now in need of help itself after Hurricane Helene swamped part of their fleet used to take food to seniors.

Volunteers are hard at work packing lunches to deliver to seniors through the Neighborly Care Network Meals on Wheels program. They provide free meals and other services for Pinellas County seniors.

Rachel Phillips has been a volunteer driver for two years.

"It's very satisfying, you know, just helping people that can't help themselves," she said.

Ben Marshall receives $27 a month in food stamps, which only goes so far. He's incredibly grateful for the program's support.

"I love it," said Marshall. "I wouldn't be able to do it if I didn't have them. I wouldn't eat."

With so many seniors in need, there's already a waiting list for service. And it's only gotten worse after Hurricane Helene destroyed most of the vans used to deliver food.

"We have 50 vehicles in our fleet and 35 were affected by the floods this weekend. Seventy percent of our fleet is severely damaged," said Pat Craven with the Neighborly Care Network. "If not totally out of commission for us."

The grassroots organization that began in 1966 is now looking for help.

"If you have an hour or two that you could give us once a week at lunchtime, that would be a great help," said David Lomaka, Executive Director of the Neighborly Care Network. "If you have the means financially to help us out, that would be a great help."

The program delivered more than 1 million meals to seniors in Pinellas County last year alone. They have more than 700 people on the waiting list to get meals delivered because they don't have enough volunteers.

To find out more about volunteering, click here.

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