Members of the Meals on Wheels board of directors are greeting volunteers at three meal pick-up sites.

All week, different board members will say, “Thank you for your service,” to volunteers at Mt. Zion United Church of Christ in China Grove, Shiloh United Methodist Church in Granite Quarry and the Meals on Wheels office in Spencer.

In addition, volunteers will receive Meals on Wheels pins that recognize their years of service. All volunteers with 1-20 years of service will receive pins. Volunteers with 25 or more years of service will be recognized at a luncheon in October.

Board Member Kay Coltrain will host the volunteer recognition luncheon on Oct. 10. “We have 34 volunteers who have between 25 and 42 years of service. Together these volunteers have over 1,053 years of service with Meals on Wheels Rowan. We have also invited our 90+-year-old volunteers. Currently, we have five volunteers who are over 90 years old. We are excited to have the opportunity to recognize our volunteers and celebrate their achievements with an appreciation luncheon,” Coltrain said.

This week, in partnership with food service provider Golden Corral of Lexington, Meals on Wheels is offering a “tasting” of the items that are served on each day’s menu. Volunteers are encouraged to taste the items that they will be delivering.

Meals on Wheels Program Director Sandy Combs said, “We want our volunteers to taste our meals and appreciate the effort that goes into selecting menu items, preparing fresh vegetables and fruits, and keeping sodium and fat low. We strive to provide a nutritious, attractive and tasty meal. Our volunteers often smell the meals when they are delivering their routes, so this week, we want them to be able to taste what they are smelling.”

Combs added, “We are happy to partner with Golden Corral in Lexington. They are willing to work with us in developing menus that meet the 2015 dietary guidelines and providing as many fresh foods as possible.”

“The Meals on Wheels board of directors is pleased to recognize all of our Meals on Wheels volunteers. And we are thrilled to present any volunteer with more than five years of service with a special pin that indicates their years of service,” Board President Connie Basinger said.

“We are also looking forward to our volunteer recognition luncheon where we will recognize our long-standing volunteers with service of 25-42 years. We are honored and grateful to have five volunteers who have volunteered for 42 years or since the beginning of Meals on Wheels Rowan. As a board, we send a heartfelt thank-you to every one of our nearly 1,000 Meals on Wheels volunteers.”