Volunteers spent Monday morning packing hundreds of boxes of food for Clearfield County seniors in need during the winter months.

Sheila Smolko is just one volunteer along an assembly line putting together “Blizzard Boxes.”

“We’re just putting stickers on the boxes and then we stack them on the pallet, then they wrap the pallets up,” said Smolko.

Blizzard Boxes are delivered to Meals on Wheels consumers in Clearfield County ahead of winter.

Each box is filled with three meals and acts as a substitute for days when Meals on Wheels drivers can’t get to a home due to the weather.

“It’s really nice to be able to come out and help for people that are shut in and not able to get out in the winter time, and get stuff so they have food in their home to eat,” said Smolko.

The volunteers will pack around 850 boxes Monday which go to more than 720 current consumers. The remaining boxes are given to any new consumers.

Todd Grady, Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging CFO, organized the assembly, says Meals on Wheels is often the only way some consumers have a hot and healthy meal to eat.

“I have plenty of food to eat in my house,” said Grady. “But some people don’t have anything to eat. We deliver them a hot or frozen meal daily. We see them and they’re checked on and they get a hot meal.”

So when the weather gets bad, and a hot meal can’t be delivered, the Blizzard Box is waiting on the shelf to provide meals to those in need.