Hundreds of Meals on Wheels volunteers were honored with the organization’s annual volunteer appreciation dinner on Thursday evening at Bethlehem Christian Church.

“Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization,” said Roseland Worrell, executive director of the organization. “Meals on Wheels of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County would not exist if it wasn’t for volunteers.”

Many of the organization’s 290 volunteers came for a dinner cooked and served by the Holland Ruritan Club, as well as door prizes and fellowship.

Together, the volunteers carry two meals a day to the door of about 150 current participants in Suffolk and Isle of Wight County, Worrell said.

“They sometimes never see anybody but the person who delivers their meal,” said board chairman James Blair.

Worrell said volunteers not only bring meals but also provide a smile and peace of mind for the recipient’s family. They’ve also been known to change lightbulbs, bring in the mail and check the heating oil level during the winter.

“A lot of you go above and beyond,” Worrell said. “Thanks is not enough, and our words are not enough. The world is a better place because of your dedication.”

Blair and another board member, Dee Steinert, also said kind words about Worrell.

“She does a great job,” Blair said. “She’s the one that goes out and gets new volunteers.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Roseland,” Steinert added.

New volunteers and donations are always welcome. For more information about Suffolk Meals on Wheels, call 934-4911.

Volunteers honored for service milestones were:

• 15 years — Pamela Saunders, Shirley Ellis, Louise Nelson, Frank Drewery, Sybil Cale, Pansy Aston, Rachel Rhodes, Gary Saunders, Kitty Martin, Helene Winslow, Shirley O’Bryant, Hugh West
• 10 years — Karen Morris, Danna Vroman, Ann Saunders, Delois Coles, Carol Tinkham, Mary Sherard, Mark Saunders, Mary Meyer, Mary Kiger, Barbara Cauter, Martha Reese, Carolyn Massengill, Patricia Tinkham, Cindy Robinson, Vivian Young, Thomas Young, Gary Meyers, Joyce Ayers, Mark McTigue, Frances Carr, Georgie Copeland
• 5 years — Franklin Parker, Thurman Moore, Peggy Lockwood, Cheryl Taylor, Rhea Walker, Lesa Kerley, Norman Frye, Jimmie Harrell, Elbert Barrow, Michael Grimes, Angel Grimes, Mary Lee Willis, Ellen Crowley, Donnie Brown, Virginia Bagnell, Pam Hill, Shirley Weaver, Marilyn Boyce, Charlotte Bauer, Sharon Slate, Emma Gardner, Adele Brown, John Holladay, Frances Mizelle, Linda Simpson, Connie Harrell, Joyce Felton, John Butrick, Robin Donnelly