A woman who has volunteered with a charity for more than 50 years believes that the clients make all her hard work worthwhile.

Jenny Gibbons, 68, got involved with Meals on Wheels Bermuda, thanks to her aunt’s persuasion when she was 18.

Ms Gibbons said: “I went to Western University and I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I returned to Bermuda — and my aunt suggested I volunteer with Meals on Wheels.”

She recalled volunteers preparing Thermoses of soup for clients at St Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in the early days, before the charity came to its purpose-built facility on South Road in Paget.

Ms Gibbons was recognised for her years of service during Meals on Wheels’s 50th-anniversary celebration in October, and has delivered meals to people living in the Ord Road and Cedar Hill areas weekly for the past six years.

She said: “It’s not just about delivering the meals.

“Recipients look forward to somebody coming into their homes. The people make it worth it, and it makes you feel good participating and helping like that.

“I just do it once a week, but if they’re short, I’ll always fill in when I can.”

The Royal Gazette joined Ms Gibbons on her delivery route yesterday to experience a typical day of a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

Of the 14 clients on Ms Gibbons’s route, four are diabetic and receive special meals accordingly.

Some recipients were not home or did not answer the door yesterday, while others welcomed Ms Gibbons in for a chat.

The Gazette spoke to other volunteers preparing between 210 and 240 meals for clients throughout the island.

Drivers deliver to recipients along 18 different routes, the newest of which was introduced yesterday to support residents in Devonshire, Pembroke and Paget.

Scott Johnson, president of the Meals on Wheels board, said: “There were two routes that were very large as far as the number of deliveries compared with the other routes, so we’ve created an eighteenth route and divided almost 36 deliveries between three routes instead of two.”

Meals on Wheels delivers food on Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The meal yesterday was a “potluck” comprising beef stew, pasta, chicken and several other dishes from previous days.

Mr Johnson has been involved with the organisation, which also offers clients hot or frozen meals for Thursdays, for 5½ years.

He said: “When you go to deliver to them, the smiles come out and you know some of them want to chat — I enjoy just getting out there and seeing the clients and how grateful they are.”

The charity’s present annual budget is about $650,000, almost all of which is raised through monetary and food donations. The rising cost of food presents a significant challenge.

Volunteers are asked to deliver or help prepare meals at least once a week.

Donna Tiffin, from the Meals on Wheels board, wrote in October: “For half a century, Meals on Wheels has woven itself into the colourful tapestry that is Bermuda.

“Brightly marked vehicles can be seen at lunchtime crisscrossing the island, a sign that help is on the way.

“Even during the pandemic, when volunteers were scarce and costs soared, meals were delivered — free of charge.”

• Visitmealsonwheels.bm or contact mealsonwheelsbda@gmail.com or 236-1815 for more information or to get involved