Meals on Wheels rolls into new kitchen

The Kirkland Meals on Wheels (MoW) program has new a locale for their kitchen — in Pointe Claire.

The volunteers running the Kirkland MoW had been using a kitchen in Beaconsfield for about a year but are now using the one located in the Church of St. John the Baptist. Though located in Pointe Claire, this MoW program (one of 13 in the West Island) serves the Kirkland area, said Paul Bissonnette, who heads Volunteer West Island (VWI). Volunteers prepare and deliver about 25 hot meals to Kirkland seniors or shut-ins every Wednesday and Friday morning. Clients are referred to MoW by CLSCs or social workers.

"These are hot meals made from scratch," Bissonnette added. "The meals are only $3 each and it's all volunteer run."

Volunteer Sylvie Prégent, who started co-ordinating the Kirkland MoW just recently and Pierrefonds MoW program since last year, is able to offer her services while still working full-time in human resources at Pfizer Canada.

"I give about one hour a week (to be a co-ordinator)," said the 48-year-old Pierrefonds resident, adding she decided to become a volunteer last year in order prepare to have something to keep herself busy when she retires in about 13 years. When she does retire, she plans to devote more hours to volunteerism.

As a MoW co-ordinator, Prégent makes sure the kitchen staff and delivery people and their list of clients are ready to roll smoothly each week. "I'm an organized person, so it's not that time consuming," she said. "I just want to give back to the community. I'll get more involved once I'm retired."

"We have a very dynamic team (of volunteers) in place, it makes my job that much easier" she said. "I

VWI also has a frozen meal program, which has no restrictions, that it runs in partnership with Equipe Entreprises. The frozen meals are sold seven for $28 and are delivered by volunteers.

For more information, call 514-457-5445 or check www.volunteerwestisland.org.

Chronicle, Jacques Pharand