“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

If a kettle whistles on the stove and the elderly woman who lives in the home forgets she lit the fire beneath it, is the water still boiling? If day time television drones endlessly while that same senior dozes in her recliner, is the program still relevant? And then, a knock on the door jars the senior into the very basis of reality, and the kettle whistles back to life and the games shows, soap operas and re-runs crackle back into significance…

Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties has no difficulty understanding this riddle when it comes to the more than 725 clients on the organization’s daily meal delivery. The “tree” definitely creates noise in that elderly person’s life, but because a dedicated volunteer is there daily, someone is around to hear it.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Meals-on-Wheels and are a critical part of the organization’s dedication to others. The volunteers may be the only other human connection that the senior citizen or the disabled individual could have that day.

Why not make a difference in the lives of those who are alone?

Volunteers are particularly needed during the summer months to ensure that the clients receive a meal and with the summer heat, Meals-on-Wheels also helps in preventing possible heat-related deaths because clients are being checked on. In addition, summer tends to be a busy time of the year for many with school being out and people being gone on vacation, but the need for a homebound person never changes.

But really, once you’re a part of the volunteer force, you’ll quickly find that it’s so much more than a noon time nutritional break. It’s an incredible connection. “Not only do the volunteers deliver meals to the homebound, the daily contact might save a life,” added Shanna Dunn, volunteer coordinator.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, to make a donation or to inquire about services – in Johnson County, call 817-558-2840; in Ellis County, call 972-351-9943, or visit the Website: www.servingthechildrenofyesterday.org. Meals-on-Wheels is a community-based non-profit organization serving the residents of Johnson and Ellis Counties for 32 years.