Community Partners Respond to Increased Demand for Home-Delivered Meals

The order from the Governor to stay home and stay safe due to the COVID-19 outbreak has caused a significant increase in the demand for home-delivered meals. During the month of February 2020, the 17 community meal sites that partner with the NEK Council on Aging produced 9,100 home-delivered meals. That number rose to 15,200 meals for the month of March and the number continues to grow during April.

“Our team has been handling calls to the helpline and signing folks up for home-delivered meals at a record pace,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director for the NEKCOA. “In addition, we have had to increase the capacity to make, store, and deliver the meals which has increased the amount of work to the staff at the meal sites and the recruitment of volunteers. Our existing team of 39 home-delivered meals drivers are now a team of 47 drivers. We wish to extend a special thanks to the NEKCOA staff, meal site managers and staff, area businesses, and volunteers who gave their all these past few weeks.”

A key partner in this effort has been Burke Mountain Academy. Executive Chef Peter Ireland offered to prepare over 2,500 meals per week in response to an increased number of staff at meal sites needing to shelter in place. The St. Johnsbury meal site location was also suspended due to a resident testing positive for the virus.

“Burke Mountain Academy is excited to help with the resources we have. Our coaches are familiar with the area and love driving back roads. Our kitchen is used to cranking out 300 meals a day to aspiring World Cup skiers and athletes and is up for the challenge of 3,000 meals a week. My thanks to Nate Maleski, Sous Chef; Jonathan Kimball, Cook; and our drivers Chad, Jeff, and Dan,” said Ireland.

St. Johnsbury Academy has offered additional freezer space along with Kingdom Recovery, Union Baptist Church, and North Country Career Center.

“The generosity of friends throughout the region is amazing. We posted an ad on Front Porch Forum for a freezer to hold meals and the Union Baptist Church has offered to store it at their facility,” said Burmeister. “We extend special thanks to St. Johnsbury Academy Culinary Arts instructors Jeff Andre and David Hale for their help as well.”

New Beginnings Church offered to drive to Brattleboro to pick up 1,000 shelf stable meals donated by the St. Johnsbury Rotary. Meal site staff and volunteers worked over weekends to make sure hundreds of meals were delivered with one couple, Julie and Bill Paton loading over 260 meals in one trip. St. Johnsbury resident, Jim Sourgiadakis, and staff of Gold House Pizza in Littleton provided a supply of fresh salads, wraps, and sandwiches within a 24-hour notice. Dawn Stewart and the NVRH kitchen staff continues to supply meals, milk, homemade desserts, and fresh fruit.

“We are always grateful for donations and volunteers to help us fulfill our mission--our dedicated friends and partners are worth their weight in gold,” said Burmeister.

If you would like to help the NEKCOA by donating time, talents, or resources, simply call the helpline (800) 642-5119. For those with an interest in volunteering, call Karen Budde (802) 751-0431.