Lend-a-Hand meal project at Meritus set for Christmas Eve deliveries

Nearly 4,000 meals are expected to be delivered this year

Meritus Health’s annual Lend-a-Hand meal project is set for its 23^rd year on Christmas Eve.

The original project was organized by emergency room physicians and staff at Washington County Hospital. That first year, 300 meals were delivered to families in need in Washington County.

The project is now organized by a committee of Emergency Department physicians and providers, the Nutrition Services Department and the Meritus Health Foundation.

“While Lend-a-Hand is a reminder of the challenges some in our community face, it is a testament to the devotion of our team members and our community volunteers that the project has continued for more than two decades in Washington County,” said Meritus Health Foundation Director Geordie Newman.

Names of families in need of the holiday meals are gathered from social services organizations, hospital staff recommendations, the public school system and other nonprofit groups in the area.

Both the Emergency Department physicians and the Meritus Health Foundation contribute money and resources to the program.

The food is prepared and cooked on-site at Meritus Medical Center by Nutrition Services.

Meals are assembled and delivered Christmas Eve day each year. More than 100 volunteers support the project, including meal packers and drivers.

Robinwood Professional Center’s atrium is the location for assembling meals and for volunteer check-in. Volunteer drivers receive delivery routes at check-in and have help loading the number of meals they will need before heading off to deliver throughout Washington County.

Meals are delivered all over Washington County. Local ambulance crews, police and fire departments offer members of their staff and buses to help deliver meals.

In addition to residential deliveries, Lend-a-Hand meals are provided to local homeless shelters, transitional homes, senior apartments and other group homes in Washington County.

The record number of meal deliveries was in 2019 at 4,100. This year, the program is expecting to deliver nearly 4,000.