FAIRMONT — Meals on Wheels America is an organization that supports more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger.

The program relies on volunteers to deliver nutritious meals to seniors.

Fairmont has its own program, striving to bring healthy meals to all those who need them. The program is called Hot Meals on Wheels and delivers within city limits.

Karen Toupal, a board member and contact person for the group, explained there is a lot of paperwork involved in getting the official name “Meals on Wheels” so the local group threw “Hot” in front and made it into a privately funded program.

Since the local group is not government funded, they ask for $5 per meal.

“The meals are delivered Monday through Saturday by volunteers,” Toupal said.

There are four routes that require four drivers per day. As of now, Toupal said they are delivering to 32 individuals, so each driver makes about eight stops per day. The meals are delivered between 11 a.m. and noon.

They get the meals from Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont. They use the same menu Lakeview uses, and Toupal said the meals are developed by a dietitian.

“There is no criteria for the receiving. Anybody who wants a meal can get a meal,” Toupal said.

It’s $5 per meal and they ask for a $100 deposit to start. If someone only finds themselves wanting or needing meals for a week or two, the rest of the $100 will be returned to them.

Toupal said that right now there are two weeks open in February for which the program needs volunteers, but other than that, about 20 different church groups and businesses volunteer to fill the weeks.

Toupal shared some of the history of the local organization.

“The first meeting of the Hot Meals on Wheels board in Fairmont was with Grace Lutheran Church in March of 1973,” she said. “They used to deliver Sunday through Friday and the first meals were delivered in September of 1973. Thirteen meals were delivered and two volunteers were needed each day.”

Toupal got involved a year ago after she saw an ad in the paper.

“One person did it themselves and she put in the paper that she was no longer going to do it and if they didn’t find anyone to take over they were going to disband,” she said. “So that’s when I, Erin Maidl and JoAnn Rehling decided to take over.”

The three women make up the local board of directors. Maidl is in charge of the routes while Rehling handles the billing.

Through all of the years and changes, Hot Meals on Wheels has been able to help many people in the community. If anyone is interested in getting on the list to receive meals, they may contact Karen Toupal at (507) 773-4547.