CINCINNATI — As extreme heat comes through Ohio before we even reach summer, organizations are making sure our vulnerable communities are taken care of.
What You Need To Know
- Meals on Wheels makes sure to check in on the seniors they serve during extreme weather
- The organization delivers over a million meals across the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area every year
- Each week, seniors get meals, milk, bread, snacks and even pet food
- Drivers create relationships with the seniors to make sure they have everything they need, especially during extreme weather
Meals on Wheels of Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky delivers over a million meals every year. They also create relationships with the seniors they deliver to and part of that is making sure they stay safe when extreme weather hits- like this week’s heat wave.
Sarah Celenza knows all about how important those relationships can be when seniors feel vulnerable.
“When there are more extreme weather conditions, they do take a bit of extra time to ask people, you know, are you cool enough? Have you had enough to drink today?” Celenza, the chief giving officer of Meals on Wheels of Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, said.
The chief giving officer said their drivers are trained to go the extra mile, whether that’s taking their dogs for a walk or checking their thermostat.
“We've had cases where a person thought that they had turned their air on, but that they actually had turned to the heat on," Celenza said. "And, one of our drivers, you know, figured that out, and they were like, oh, gosh, I see why it's so hot in here. Let me, let me teach you how to use this a little bit better.”
The nonprofit provides a week’s worth of meals, snacks, bread and even pet food to seniors in the area. But it’s also much more than that; they can connect seniors with valuable resources to stay safe in these conditions.
“Our drivers are really great about checking back in with the case managers that we have and making, making those referrals as appropriate so that we can get people connected with, with air conditioning," Celenza said. "There's so many other great organizations in this town that we work with that can get banned. Sometimes we can get them those resources ourselves. We just want to make sure that people have what they need and are safe.”
It’s also important to check in on the people that are vulnerable in your life like senior citizens and making sure that they’re staying cool throughout this heat wave this week.
Click here for more information and if you qualify for assistance with Meals on Wheels.