First Responders Join March for Meals
As children, we were taught to stay away from dangerous situations, to stay back from the fire.
There's also the feeling as adults, of wanting to help someone in medical distress, but not being equipped to do so, perhaps out of fear of making things worse.
It takes a special kind of person, a Hero in this writer’s opinion: a delicate balance of brave and crazy, to fight that instinct, to breathe life into a perfect stranger and to run TOWARD the fire. That's what our First Responders do every day: they answer the call, trained and prepared for anything, showing up on what might otherwise have been the worst day of someone's life.
On Wednesday, March 18th, 2026, a group of our region’s finest Paramedics, Fire & Emergency and Mental Health Crisis Response Team staff were given a considerably lower-risk but no less important task.
They were on the roads of South Frontenac delivering meals to local and rural seniors, as part of the annual March for Meals campaign hosted by the Southern Frontenac Community Services Corporation (SFCSC).
In attendance for this special day included the Township of South Frontenac’s Deputy Mayor, Steve Pegrum and Chief Administrative Officer, Louise Fragnito. The Deputy Mayor expressed the importance of our First responders, SFCSC's Meals on Wheels program and its volunteers.
Director of Emergency Services & Fire Chief Del Blakney and Deputy Fire Chief Brad Smith arrived with two Fire & Rescue trucks to deliver meals and they brought Administrative Assistant - Julie St-Cyr, Kalieb Hayes-Steele and Student - Zakk Ottenhof. From Frontenac Paramedics, Superintendent of Community Paramedicine Michael van Hartingsveldt was joined by Marc Lawler. Caitlyn Speed, who is a Mental Health Crisis Response Team worker with Addiction and Mental Health Services was also in attendance to help deliver meals. Caitlyn works in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police.
SFCSC Executive Director, Heather Rogers, expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership with the community’s emergency services, as well as for the many volunteers who show up week after week for the Meals on Wheels program.
Three times a week, a dedicated team of kitchen staff and volunteers provide not only much-needed nourishment, but also a cheerful face and kind word, a sense of connection in what can sometimes be a lonely world.
For 1 in 4 clients, Meals on Wheels brings the only friendly face they may see that day.
For many seniors, that knock at the door is more than a meal — it’s a friendly visit and an important connection. These small but powerful interactions help reduce isolation and strengthen a sense of belonging.
By supporting independence at home and easing the responsibilities of caregivers, our volunteers help seniors continue to live with dignity, confidence, and good health.
Southern Frontenac Community Services delivered almost NINETEEN THOUSAND nutritious hot and frozen meals in 2024-2025. Think about that number.
How many meals do we have, almost out of habit, taking for granted that dinnertime means food on the table, elbow-to-elbow with family and loved ones?
Now, consider where that nourishment and fellowship comes from without a program like Meals on Wheels, or the lifeblood of the program: the kitchen & admin volunteers and the dedicated volunteer drivers.
Thank you to our First Responders and Community Champions for stepping up once again, shining a light not only on those who might be in need, but also on their fellow heroes that are all around us.
To learn more about the Meals on Wheels program in South Frontenac, or to see what you can do to help, reach out to the SFCSC Meal Programs Coordinator at [email protected] or call 613-376-6477 extension 303
