Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor Michael Tousignant and Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant took the opportunity to ride along with Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers Jack Newton and Connie Hanley on March 21, Community Leaders Day. Tammy Wells Photo

BIDDEFORD — A meal delivery combined with a cheerful hello can mean a lot — and there’s little question that it does to 250 Meals on Wheels clients from Old Orchard Beach, south to Ogunquit, and inland to Lyman, Dayton, and parts of Hollis.

The frozen meals delivered once or twice a week by volunteers from the Biddeford meal site at the J.R Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford  give older homebound people unable to prepare a meal a week’s supply of nutritious main meals, plus milk and bread.

Municipal leaders around the area got a chance to help deliver meals on Tuesday, March 22 — an opportunity to ride along with volunteers and hear about their experiences, and to meet recipients.

It gave Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant and Old Orchard Beach Town Councilor Michael Tousignant the opportunity to see Meals on Wheels, a program of Southern Maine Agency on Aging, in action.

“I’m here to ride along,” said Tousignant. “‘I’ve done it a couple of times. I’ve seen the need, no doubt it’s there.”

“I get to meet a few people and see how this operates,” said Casavant, who has also previously  taken part. “The people are really appreciative,” he said of the program.

Boneless turkey with apple mushroom sauce, potatoes and corn and spinach were among the meals delivered to Meals on Wheels recipients one day last week, when community leaders joined volunteer drivers to get to know the program, the drivers and meet recipients. Tammy Wells Photo

In all, MOW provides meals to slightly more than 1,000 clients in York and Cumberland counties and a small slice of Oxford County.

Recipients receive five main meals; those with no support may receive seven, said Biddeford meal site coordinator Ashley Perrone.

Current eligibility requirements are that someone be 60 or older and homebound; under 60 and receive Social Security disability benefits and homebound; or under 60 and living with someone who receives Meals on Wheels and is homebound.

There is no income eligibility required; the suggested donation is $3.50. The agency notes on their website that all donations are welcome, and people will not be turned away if unable to contribute the recommended rate.

The meals are made fresh in Bangor by SMAA’s vendor and flash frozen, said Director of Nutrition and Adult Day Services Renee Longarini.

“We have an expansive menu with over 40 menu choices, including more than 10 medical meal categories so that we can meet the dietary needs of our clients,” said Longarini.

Community Leaders Day is part of the March for Meals events honoring the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, the federal legislation that helps to fund community-based programs like Meals on Wheels, said SMAAA Communications Specialist Bistra Nikiforova. The act is 50 years old this year.

On Community Leaders Day, Tousignant was riding along with Jack Newton, also of Old Orchard Beach, who has been making deliveries for nine years.

“I like to do this,” said Newton. Dropping by with meals gives homebound recipients someone to talk to — a welcome interlude in the day, he said. “And if something’s not right,” or seems a bit off, Newton knows about it.

“It’s a good program,” said Casavant, noting some clients are isolated and cannot prepare meals.

For more information about Meals on Wheels, call 1-800-427-7411.