LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Metro Meals On Wheels program feeds hundreds of hungry seniors throughout the city each week. But for hundreds more who say they need the program, that welcome knock on the door never comes.

Two-to-three times a week, Benji Smith takes food - catered off-site and then prepared in a west Louisville community center - loads it in his car, and hand delivers it to seniors in the area.

“It feels like you’re going to see friends,” Smith smiled as he stood on a street corner just before heading off on his route. “That feeling when you’re rolling up and, you know, you look forward to seeing people that you see pretty regularly.”

Smith is one of 300 volunteers who served 100,000 meals to 500 seniors in 2018. But the need is still great.

“Right now the Meals On Wheels program has a waiting list of over 240 people who are in need,” said Melanie Rivard, manager of the Louisville Metro Senior Nutrition Program. “Almost everyone wants to see seniors in need in their community having meals. We don’t want to see anyone going hungry.”

For longtime residents like Mary Hardin, it might be the only hot meal she eats in a day. It might also be her only chance to interact with someone other than her caretaker.

“Oh, I think it’ wonderful. I couldn’t do without it,” Hardin, 96. “The meals are just extra good and, if I didn’t get them, I don’t think I’d look as healthy as I do now. They’re nutritious and just delicious. They come here nice and hot; right ready for me to start eating.”

“We need so many more people,” Smith said in a more solemn tone than before. “We constantly need volunteers and it’s just an ongoing need.”

In addition to meal delivery, the Louisville Metro Senior Nutrition Program offers meals at 20 sites around the area for seniors 60 and older who can travel. For info on volunteering, you can call 502-574-MEAL.