Meals on Wheels Western Michigan is dedicated to ensuring that no senior goes hungry or forgotten. With a mission to provide quality nutrition services in a supportive environment, the organization serves older adults across Kent and Allegan counties. Our Director of Marketing, Eric Burger, sat down with Kayla Herold, Volunteer Manager at Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, to learn how volunteers fuel their mission—and how adopting VolunteerHub has helped streamline processes, improve reporting, and expand their impact.
Could you share a little bit about the mission and vision of Meals on Wheels Western Michigan?
Kayla: The mission of Meals on Wheels Western Michigan is to provide quality nutrition services in a supportive environment to promote the health and independence of older adults. We provide a wide range of meal and nutrition services to seniors in Kent and Allegan counties. Our vision is no senior, hungry or forgotten.
What does your role look like from a day-to-day perspective?
Kayla: As most volunteer managers know, no two days look the same. My role is to engage, invite, and retain volunteers by providing support and making sure they’re placed where they’re most helpful and best fit. Some days I’m touring potential partners; other days I’m onboarding volunteers at job sites. It really varies, but that’s the core of my role.
Can you go into more detail about the services Meals on Wheels Western Michigan provides?
Kayla: We have three main programs for seniors 60+ in Kent and Allegan County:
Home Delivered Meals – Nutritious meals delivered to homebound seniors, often the only social interaction they have all week. Meals are scratch-cooked by our team, overseen by a dietitian and chef.
Community Dining Sites – Fresh, prepared meals at 14 dining sites for mobile seniors who can get there themselves.
Senior Pantry – An income-qualifying program set up like a mini-grocery store, where seniors shop using the MyPlate model. We emphasize the dignity of choice, since choice often diminishes with age.
Do you have any metrics that show the impact or measurable outcomes from your programs?
Kayla: Yes. We serve just over 6,000 seniors annually. This past year, we delivered more than 500,000 meals to homebound seniors, served 95,000 meals at dining sites, and had 20,000 visits to our senior pantry. We also collect client feedback, and 73% of our clients say that because of Meals on Wheels, they eat more fruits and vegetables.
How many volunteers do you engage with annually?
Kayla: About 1,500 volunteers, including individuals who volunteer regularly and corporate groups who come once or twice a year. We’re looking to grow that number further with VolunteerHub, which has already made a huge impact in reducing barriers to volunteering.
What challenges or inefficiencies did your team face before VolunteerHub?
Kayla: Our old system required 5–8 touchpoints to get a volunteer scheduled, which was time-consuming and frustrating. It lacked reporting features, wasn’t customizable, and wasn’t mobile-friendly. VolunteerHub solved those problems, making the application and onboarding process smooth and volunteer-friendly.
How was your experience learning VolunteerHub? What about training and support?
Kayla: It was excellent. I started with webinars and mapped out our setup before our first meeting. Working with Matt, who has great experience with Meals on Wheels organizations, made the process easy. Support was always responsive, and overall, it was a very positive experience.
What was the main pain point you were trying to solve with VolunteerHub?
Kayla: The number of steps it took to onboard a volunteer. Now it’s essentially one step instead of 5–10. Volunteers can self-select and sign up without waiting for us.
You’re using the kiosk as well, correct? How has that helped?
Kayla: Yes. Before, we tracked hours on paper, which was messy. Now, volunteers check in with their name or phone number—no need for usernames. It’s easy for volunteers and ensures accurate hour tracking.
Can you share more about the value you see in VolunteerHub’s reporting features?
Kayla: Reporting is simple and customizable. I used to spend 1–1.5 hours pulling monthly reports; now it takes 15–20 minutes. It’s a huge time saver and makes tracking events and volunteer hours much easier.
Looking at VolunteerHub as an investment, how would you assess its return, and where do you see the most value?
Kayla: The return has been incredible. The biggest value is in accurate hour tracking via the kiosk and the smoother onboarding process, which has been transformative for us.
What would you say to a nonprofit leader on the fence about using volunteer management software?
Kayla: I’d say do it. The cost is offset by labor savings and the ability to truly engage volunteers instead of being stuck in admin work. Retention depends on relationships, and VolunteerHub frees us up to focus on volunteer engagement, not paperwork.
If someone wants to volunteer with Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, how can they do that?
Kayla: Just visit our website, click the volunteer button, and sign up through VolunteerHub. Opportunities include the kitchen, pantry, delivery, admin work, and more.
