WALBRIDGE — The Wood County Committee on Aging is looking for drivers to deliver meals and managers for two of its sites.
“It’s great for someone who is retired or semi-retired looking for a part-time gig,” said Wood County Committee on Agine Executive Director Denise Niese.
Currently site managers are needed in Pemberville and North Baltimore, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. The pay is $17 per hour.
The site manager in North Baltimore will be at a new location as the agency on Wednesday gave 60-day notice to Westhaven Apartments, 514 W. Water St., that it was cancelling its lease.
The new location will be at St Luke’s Lutheran Church, 215 N. 2nd St.
The is really no difference in the cost of the yearly lease, which will be $6,000 at the new site, Niese said.
The benefits include more space and better access, she said.
“It’s an opportunity we can’t resist,” Niese said about the new space.
Renovations are being planned “to bring the church up to the level required for serving food to the public,” said board President Tom Milbrodt.
The goal is to have it ready to serve the community in October, Niese said.
Drivers, which are needed in Rossford and North Baltimore, also work 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and are paid $16 per hour.
Jason Miller, human resources manager, said if anyone wanted to travel with him on a route, “I’d be happy to show how easy it is.”
Miller, along with Angie Bradford, director of food services, often have to step in to cover sites or routes, which takes them away from their regular duties.
“I know that when I’m out with a route, I’m not out in the community recruiting. …” Miller said. “As we try to uphold the mission of delivering services to older adults, we are getting stretched because that’s five hours you’re not at your desk.”
Intermittent, or on-call drivers – are also needed and are paid the same rate.
The agency provides training for site managers and drivers and conducts a pre-employment screening which includes a drug and background check.
Anyone with a felony conviction need not apply.
Miller said he interviewed six people and got nothing.
Keith Whitacre, who drives the Rossford route, said if you like the countryside, go to North Baltimore, which has 24 stops along its 80-mile route.
“All of them have different personalities,” Whitacre said about the people he serves.
The agency provides the vehicle.
Whitacre called it a soul-satisfying job as it puts a different perspective on life.
Niese said at least once a month, a driver needs to fill out an incident report because they found someone on the floor or unresponsive.
“This might be the one time someone has interaction with someone else,” Miller said.
Board member Louis Katzner said a downside of driving is when a stop is removed from the route.
“I wonder what happened, if they passed away or moved,” he said. “I always spend time wondering about that. … You miss them if they’re not there.”
The governing board met Wednesday at the Northeast Area Senior Center in Walbridge.
Markeita Phillips has been site manager in Walbridge for two years after being a route driver for the previous 19.
“I can’t say it’s been easy,” she said.
They serve on average 18 meals a day with 68-70 home-delivery clients covered by two volunteer drivers and one paid driver.
She said she leads a lot of games for attendees and Niese praised Phillips for being very resourceful.
“This is one of the most fun sites you’ll go to,” Niese said.
Also at the meeting, Milbrodt announced that the agency was hard at work utilizing the Ohio Department of Health’s Healthy Aging Grant.
The agency received $473,335, he said, and has spent $249,692 as of May 31.
Criteria for the grant included spending 20% on food assistance, and the board has spent 24%; 20% on housing, which has been earmarked; and 10% on internet access and digital literacy, and that board has spent 11%, he said.
The agency also allotted $45,000 to MemoryLane Care Services, which is set to open the week of June 24.
The balance has been encumbered for two Chevy Malibu sedans for medical escort and two delivery trucks.
“‘The healthy aging funds are very much in the process of being spent,” Milbrodt said.
The funds must be spent by Sept. 30.
Also at the meeting, the board:
Learned the 17-year-old air conditioning system at the production kitchen will be replaced at a cost of $23,000. Funds will come from the kitchen’s budget.
Learned nominations for the board are due July 12 as to date none have been received.
