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yourself or a loved one
Let us know of
people who cannot prepare food for themselves
Do you need meals on a temporary or permanent
basis? Are you caring for a loved one who does? Here are the
answers to common questions:
How do I start? Let us know of the
need. There are three ways:
-- Fill information into a
page on this Website, which will
send us the information by e-mail.
-- Mail or fax us a
paper form with the same
information.
-- Leave a message at Friendship Trays at
704-333-9229 to have someone call you.
What's next? A staff member at
Friendship Trays will call to verify all information. In most
cases someone will arrange to visit the prospective recipient at
home. At some point we will need to discuss payment levels and
payment methods with the recipient or a family
member who has financial responsibility. If the recipient has
medical issues, we will need to get a doctor's meal plan order.
(Many of our recipients are originally referred to Friendship
Trays by social service or medical workers.) If a special diet
is necessary, deliveries can't begin until the doctor's orders
are received.
How much? Every recipient is asked to
pay. Nearly every one does pay something. About a quarter pay
the full cost. We do not refuse service or discontinue service
because of inability to pay.
How soon? Days to months. We add recipients quickly if there
is room on an existing route. But if the route is full or if no
route serves the prospective recipient's area, service can't
begin. Which is why we are constantly seeking
volunteers to drive
routes and help prepare food, and
donors whose gifts allow
us to pay a few employees to drive routes.
Recipients how
long?
How long current
recipients have been on program, as of Jan. 1, 2007.
| (Yrs.) |
No. |
Pct. |
| <1 |
228 |
32.8 |
|
1≤2 |
196 |
28.2 |
|
2≤3 |
96 |
13.8 |
|
3≤4 |
52 |
7.5 |
|
4≤5 |
49 |
7.0 |
|
5≤6 |
23 |
3.3 |
|
6+ |
50 |
7.2 |
How long? We do not cut off service to
those who continue to need meals. The chart at the right shows
50 recipients have been receiving Friendship Trays for six or
more years. But the vast bulk of our recipients do not stay that
long, so places on existing delivery routes do open up on a
regular basis. And we regularly re-interview recipients to
confirm that they still need the service. But
until volunteers step up to drive, or benefactors donate the
money to pay a driver to serve a new route. we cannot add
routes. We are growing, however, and we would encourage you to
be sure we know about the people you know who are in need of the
service.
Do you deliver way out? Current routes
go west in Mecklenburg to Paw Creek Road; north to W.T. Harris
Boulevard; east to Lebanon Road near the Cabarrus line; and
south to around I-485. There are red flags on our
delivery map
for prospective recipients not near a current route. As we have
more drivers we will create new routes to serve our neighbors in
these areas. |