Volunteer Voices

There is no doubt that being a “Meals on Wheels” (MOW) driver is one of the best volunteer opportunities out there. Just ask Pat Barlament and Deb Whitelaw-Gorski, two of Sturgeon Bay’s most enthusiastic supporters. Barlament, who is retired, and Whitelaw-Gorski, who is a full-time employee of Ministry Door County Medical Center, both know that driving for MOW has been one of the best things that’s ever happened to them.

Barlament drives along with her husband Gerry, and she is always amazed at how grateful her “clients” are. “They always say ‘Thank you’ and I think to myself, we need to be doing things for each other. We’re here to make someone’s life better; however we get to do it,” she says.

For Barlament, it all started two years ago when she and Gerry were at the Senior Center for lunch themselves. “The director said that they needed drivers and I told Gerry, ‘We could do that,’” she recalls.

Barlament loves being able to give of herself to others in some way.

“I know that we’re put on this earth not to just take up space. We’re given the opportunity to help others because everyone has value,” she says.

Barlament relayed a story about collecting “pop tops” from cans which she and Gerry do for Shriners Hospital. “I had one in my pocket, and it came out when I was grabbing for something. One of the ladies we were delivering to was so happy to find out we collected them because she had been saving them and didn’t know who to give them to. She was genuinely excited about being able to help someone else because we were there helping her,” recalls Barlament.

This is just one reason why Barlament says they don’t stop delivering: “We’d have a huge hole in our lives if we weren’t part of this.”

For Whitelaw-Gorski, the opportunity to be a driver presented itself through her employer.

“Ministry requires that our directors get involved in some kind of community service. Meals on Wheels gives me the chance to get out of the office and help people who are truly grateful just to see someone during their day,” she says.

Whitelaw-Gorski is a firm believer in the program, as she has been delivering for 12 years now.

“As I get to know my clients better, and they get to know me, I find that people who might have been ‘standoffish’ at first, now have started to reach out to me more. They might ask me to explain something to them or help them with something,” she says.

Along with her love of the MOW program comes Whitelaw-Gorski’s desire to get more people involved.

“I offer to be a mentor driver to people who want to find out what I actually do. Sometimes people are a little overwhelmed by things like ‘how do I find the houses’ or ‘where do I put the coolers,’” she says. “I think it helps to show people that this doesn’t take a lot of time and isn’t overly complicated.”

“And it’s good exercise actually,” she continues. “You get in and out of your car, go up and down stairs – it’s a good little mini workout in the middle of my work day!”

It goes without saying that both of these women are incredible volunteers for the MOW program. Although their circumstances and stages of life put them into completely different categories of how to “find the time,” both have the same passion for its purpose. Both agree that volunteering for MOW makes them stop and think about the things in life that actually make a difference. For the Meals on Wheels program, these volunteers are making a difference every time they get in their cars and head off to their first stops.

If you’re interested in becoming a Meals on Wheels driver or would like additional information, please contact Christy Wisniewski at Door County Senior Resource Center at 920.746.2542 or [email protected].

Please register at the Volunteer Center website at http://www.VolunteerDoorCounty.com to have volunteer opportunities delivered directly to your inbox or contact the Volunteer Center at 920.746.7704 to request a Volunteer Guide.