35: Jackie Grauel

Volunteer: Meals on Wheels, Berks Encore, Mifflin Center

Jackie Gravel’s work for Meals on Wheels includes managing eleven routes to deliver between 150-200 meals. She is responsible for setting up equipment and managing volunteers. 

One of the hardest things she experienced was that there was a limit of 20 people in the center. With fewer hands, meal prep was more difficult. Included in the process of delivering meals is checking on clients to see how they are doing. This became especially important during covid. 

Jackie was grateful for this job due to the fact that she was furloughed from the Reading Hospital Child care center. She often functions as a problem solver in her present position. She really enjoys talking to people and being present to those who need help and support. This involves things as simple as offering technical support to elderly people who struggled to register for vaccines. She believes kindness matters and makes a difference in people’s lives.