Lions receive vehicle for Meals on Wheels

July 6, 2015 News

The Daily Herald writes that Saba Health Care Foundation (SHCF) donated a vehicle Friday to Saba Lions Club (SLC) for its Meals on Wheels project.

From left: Lisette Riley, Kirt Whittle, Shirley Woods, George Wilson, Saba Lions Club President Jessica Gumbs, Saba Health Care Director Joka Blaauboer, Arabella Hassell, Hubert “Roy” Smith, Vincent troom, Carl Buncamper, Franklin Wilson, Rudolph Hassell and Wilma Hassell in front of the Meals on Wheels vehicle.

Recently, SHCF purchased a new fleet which consists of four new vehicles. These are mainly for the Home Health Department, which provides district nursing to patients living at home but in need of nursing care.

Two additional new vehicles also make up the new fleet, mainly for the Facility Department. All vehicles can also be used by staff to reach the scene of an emergency. T

wo vehicles of the existing fleet were kept. The three remaining vehicles became superfluous. The values of the remaining three vehicles were determined and a sale for SHCF staff was organised. Staff could make a bid on these three cars and the highest bidders would be able to make the purchase. One of the vehicles was sold to an employee, which left two cars.

Meals and Wheels was made aware that some vehicles were going to become nonessential and the board of directors pressed on former SLC president Paula Mayer-Childs to jump to the occasion. Mayers informed SHCF director Dr. Joka Blaauboer that the Saba Lions were looking for a donation of a vehicle for Meals on Wheels, as the vehicle that was previously used was in a mediocre condition.

As a close collaborator with Lions Club’s Meals on Wheels, SHCF thought it a very worthy cause, which would continue to greatly benefit the community of Saba. The third vehicle was sold to the public.

Meals on Wheels was created with three key objectives in mind: to provide a healthy and balanced lunch for seniors; reduce their social isolation by delivering food on a daily basis and to monitor the individual’s wellbeing and, if necessary, to report any problems to the island’s health care team. The project was established late 2009, and continues to this day with around 40 clients being served a hot meal form Monday to Friday.

Apart from the elderly, also some disabled persons, single (grand) parents as well as a few drugaddicted persons are currently served through this project. Meals on Wheels was recipient of “The world of service award” in the category “best hunger relief programme or activity” in July 2013, in Hamburg, Germany.