Raleigh Resident Honored

Raleigh resident and Meals on Wheels of Wake County and Inter Faith Food Shuttle volunteer Manju Karkare will join dozens of other hard-working volunteers on an all-expense-paid cruise courtesy of Cabot Creamery Co-operative. Manju will be recognized as a 2019 Community Celebrity by Cabot, the New England and New York farm-family owned dairy co-operative, as someone who makes a significant difference in her community.

“The Cabot farmers have a different perspective on what defines a true celebrity,” says Cabot CEO Ed Townley. “For them, the kind, giving souls who make a significant difference in their communities each and every day are the real celebrities. That’s why, in 2010, Cabot created the Community Celebrity Cruise; to honor the achievements and contributions of those hard-working volunteers, and to encourage more people and organizations to join us in applauding and recognizing their efforts.”

”Volunteering gives me a strong connection to my community and an incredible sense of gratitude” said Manju. “I am truly honored to be named a 2019 Cabot Community Celebrity and look forward to being a part of what is sure to be a remarkable group of volunteers who strive to make their communities better for everyone.”

As a Meals on Wheels volunteer, Manju delivers meals weekly to homebound seniors, and teaches multiple nutrition education classes in low income communities in several counties. “When I deliver meals, I am really delivering a lot more than just food,” says Manju. “I am their connection to the outside world, a smiling face, someone checking in on these homebound seniors.”

Meals on Wheels of Wake County serves a hot, nutritious meal to homebound and disabled adults and seniors five days a week. The organization has been serving meals in Wake County for 43 years and has served over 9 million meals total. It depends on more than 2,000 volunteers to help deliver 1,300 meals a day through multiple pick up sites as well as five congregate dining sites.

Over the years, Cabot has also honored the following celebrities from Meals on Wheels, Joan Stocker and Merle Castle.

The 2019 Community Celebrity Cruise sets sail from Boston on September 29, 2019, making stops in Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax. This marks the seventh Community Celebrity Cruise; more than 200 volunteers have been honored thus far for making a positive impact on their communities. For more information, cabotcelebritycruise.com.

About Cabot Creamery Co-operative

In 2019, Cabot Creamery Co-operativecelebrates a century of continuous operation in Vermont, and makes a full line of cheeses, Greek yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Widely known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” in 2012 Cabot became the first dairy co-op and cheese maker in the world to become a certified B Corps. Cabot is owned by the 800 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, with farms located throughout New England and upstate New York.