Lend a Hand
AAMOW staff and volunteers work together to serve and support our homebound neighbors.
Staff and volunteers conduct wellness checks and deliver meals along with needed household items and toiletries to those in need. They also deliver cards, activity books and more to brighten the days of our clients.
For many of our clients, a volunteer is the only person they see all day. In all we do, Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels seeks to be "More than a Meal®." See below for opportunities to volunteer and give to Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels.
Meal delivery volunteers serve a critical role in our program and in the lives of our homebound neighbors. Volunteers choose the day (Monday-Saturday) and frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, substitute) for volunteering. Meals are picked up at the Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels office at 11:30am, and routes typically take 1-2 hours to complete.
Meal delivery volunteer requirements:
- Complete the full onboarding process for AAMOW volunteers
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Provide your own vehicle for delivering
- Maintain a valid driver's license (if driving) and vehicle insurance
- Commit to delivering at least ten times over the course of a year (preferably once/month, if possible)
- Maintain compliance with Michigan Medicine COVID-19 and influenza vaccine policies
All volunteers must complete AAMOW’s full volunteer onboarding process, which consists of the following:
- Submit an online application
- Log into the volunteer portal and complete the steps outlined in the welcome email
- Attest to required statements
- Submit required vaccine verifications
- Attend a volunteer orientation
- Pass required background screenings for Michigan Medicine volunteers
The full onboarding process can typically be completed within 2-3 weeks depending on how quickly applicants are able to address each of the required tasks.
Volunteers who have not volunteered within the past year and would like to return should contact AAMOW at [email protected] to get restarted. We will provide instructions on how to access the volunteer portal, submit required documents, and sign up for an orientation. Our orientation is currently held virtually and required for anyone who has not volunteered in over a year.
Visit the volunteer portal to manage your schedule, upload required documentation, update contact information, run reports on the number of miles you’ve driven and hours you’ve volunteered, access training materials, and more! If you need assistance gaining access to the volunteer portal, please reach out to us at [email protected].
If you would like someone to accompany you on your route, please refer to the “New Volunteer” section above which outlines the steps that all individuals age 18 and older are required to complete in order to be involved in meal deliveries.
AAMOW has a personal care items pantry that clients are able to access free of charge and items are delivered with their meals. Donations of the following items are needed:
- Individually wrapped rolls of paper towel
- Individually wrapped rolls of toilet paper
- Boxes of tissues
- Unscented liquid laundry detergent
- Toothpaste
- Individually wrapped toothbrushes
- Incontinence briefs (men’s and women’s) of all sizes
- Antibacterial hand soap (minimally scented)
- Antibacterial dish soap (minimally scented)
- Antibacterial bar soap (minimally scented)
- Multi-surface cleaning solution and disinfectant wipes
New/unused household item/toiletry donations can be mailed to the AAMOW office or left in the purple donation bin inside our office foyer any day of the week.
AAMOW welcomes all quantities of handwritten greeting/encouraging (non-religious) cards, decorated placemats, activity books, games and puzzles to send to our clients with their meal deliveries.
Due to the diversity of our clientele, Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels typically does not send out cards or placemats with phrases such as "I love you, you are loved, hugs, kisses, etc." However, sentiments of kindness, care, positive humor, and joy are welcomed and appreciated! Cards/placemats do not need to be in envelopes or signed, and below are examples of text that can be utilized.
- Have a nice day
- May your day be filled with joy
- Sending you warm and caring wishes
- Hope you have a wonderful day
- Your community cares about you
- Hope this card brings a smile to your face
- I hope you have a great day
- Here is a card to help bring sunshine to your day
- Thinking of you
New/unused activity books, one-person games, and puzzles are greatly appreciated by our clients, and donations of the following are requested:
- Large print activity books (crossword, word search, sudoku, coloring books, etc.)
- Colored pencils and markers
- Puzzles (larger piece puzzles are preferred)
Donations can be mailed to the AAMOW office or left in the purple donation bin inside our office foyer any day of the week.
There are a number of ways to make a financial contribution to Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels including through direct gifts, bequests, annuities, stocks, trusts, and donations. To make an online gift to AAMOW, visit our giving page.
Checks can be made out to Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels and mailed to 3621 S. State Street, Suite 650, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Please feel free to contact the Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels office at 734-998-6793 or [email protected] with any questions.
Ann Arbor MI, 48108
Monday-Friday: 8:30 am - 4 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am - 3 pm
