We are so excited to partner with our local chapter of Meals on Wheels! This fall, John Halliday, the Director of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (JMRL), was approached by Leigh Tripp, the Executive Director of Meals on Wheels (MOW). She had heard of a partnership in another municipality in Virginia and wondered if we could create something similar. For the library, it was a natural fit for the Bookmobile branch.

Meals on Wheels serves hot meals to over 250 clients in the local area every day. They have an extensive network of volunteers who make the deliveries and have regular contact with the homebound folks. The idea was that they could deliver library materials along with the meals. MOW is very organized and has a solid structure in place; it was easy for us to fit right in.

JMRL’s job is to create accounts for the MOW clients and keep track of their reading preferences. MOW’s role is to deliver the books and pick up returns. Bookmobile staff stop by the MOW office on Fridays to pick up new applications and any returned books. We then process the materials and choose new items for the patrons. These get dropped off at the MOW office on Monday morning, to be delivered sometime during the week.

Word is getting out and the response has been very enthusiastic. We’re happy to be able to provide this service and offer many thanks to the hard-working MOW volunteers!