Who is the MOWRI Delivery Hero?
MOWRI Home-Delivered Meal Program volunteers are individuals or groups who:
- Believe that every Rhode Islander should have equitable access to a fully healthy life
- Embrace the MOWRI C.A.R.E.S. Values-Compassion, Accountability, Responsibility, Excellence, Steadfastness
- Deliver meals and provide wellness checks to homebound Rhode Island residents
- Engage homebound Rhode Islanders in short social visits during meal delivery
- Can commit to delivering meals on weekday(s) between 9 a.m. & 2 p.m.
- Meals on Wheels of RI does NOT deliver on weekends or on federal and state holidays
- Have reliable transportation
- Have a current driver’s license OR are volunteering alongside an individual with a current driver’s license
- Are comfortable interacting with clients of various backgrounds
- Can easily lift 20 lbs.
- Can easily climb stairs
Become a MOWRI Delivery Hero
To get started on becoming a MOWRI Delivery Hero, please fill out the online application by clicking on the box below. After you have completed the application, a MOWRI team member will be in touch to schedule your mandatory one-time training.
Volunteer FAQs
Meals on Wheels of RI’s (MOWRI) Volunteer Program is a vital part of providing our signature “More Than a Meal” service to homebound and other food-insecure Rhode Island residents across the state through the MOWRI Home-Delivered Meal Program (HDMP). HDMP volunteers deliver meals and provide wellness checks and social visits to more than 3,100 Rhode Islanders annually, ensuring safe handling and delivery of meals and engaging with clients to make sure they are safe and to ease their loneliness.
MOWRI’s HDMP works to help clients achieve equitable access to fully healthy lives. Through daily delivery of complete and nutritious meals, safetyassuring wellness checks and social visits, our program helps improve clients’ health and well-being so they can maintain independent living. Annually, HDMP volunteers collectively contribute more than 30,000 hours of service time to our mission. This helps MOWRI use its funding for other aspects of program service.
Our volunteers deliver meals Monday-Friday, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. MOWRI does NOT deliver meals on weekends or on federal or state holidays and volunteers are not needed on those days.
Most MOWRI volunteer routes can be completed within 2 hours.
Volunteers are scheduled on a weekly or biweekly basis unless otherwise specified.
Yes! We welcome groups of all sizes, including company groups, to volunteer. Please provide this detail on your volunteer application.
Yes! We are happy to work with your company on a volunteer opportunity. Please provide this detail on your volunteer application.
To drive on behalf of Meals on Wheels, you must:
- Possess a valid driver’s license.
- Carry current vehicle insurance.
- Drive a reliable, registered, and roadworthy vehicle.
Most volunteer routes deliver to between 11 and 20 program clients.
Planned time-off requests will always be honored. It is the volunteer's responsibility to inform their scheduler about any planned vacation requests as soon as possible. With a minimum of 48 hours’ notice, we have time to fill the shift with another volunteer.
Interested volunteers are asked to fill out an application, participate in a background check, attend a one-time volunteer training session, and shadow a driver before they are given their own route.
While we try to accommodate routes that are most convenient for volunteers, the needs of different areas of the state vary all the time. Available routes will be discussed at the time of your onboarding and you will never be assigned a route that you haven’t agreed to!
Yes! The onboarding process is all the same, and you can choose to be called when an immediate need arises instead of having a regular route.
For the AmeriCorps volunteer program, you just need to be aged 55+ and agree to the required background checks. The onboarding process is the same. Opting to become an AmeriCorps volunteer will help us develop new delivery routes and expand our program’s impact here in Providence.
Yes! There are many ways to volunteer for our organization. Individuals and workplace or organization teams can hold pet food drives or collect items for our senior wishes initiative, among other opportunities.
Volunteer Program Handbook
For additional information, please click below to read the MOWRI Volunteer Program Handbook
Volunteering With
Additional MOWRI Volunteer Opportunities
Meals on Wheels of RI has several volunteer opportunities to benefit our clients statewide.
Donation Drives
Office Needs
Students needing to fulfill community service hours may volunteer at our headquarters with administrative tasks. Please call (401) 351-6700 for more information.