When retiree Gaye Long hops on her bike to make her Vancouver deliveries, she knows that as a Meals on Wheels volunteer, she is bringing people — many of them housebound seniors — more than just something to eat.

"Some of these people, you are the only face they see for days, the only voice they hear," said Long, who has been with the charity for six years.

Long also says she, or someone she loves, might depend on Meals on Wheels one day, and it is important to her to keep it afloat.

Maintaining t…