Willie Jones Joins Caddo Council on Aging in ‘March for Meals on Wheels’

Former 'X Factor' contestant Willie Jones helped out the Caddo Council on Aging as it makes its big annual push for donations to the Meals on Wheels program this week.

Executive Director Mary Alice Rountree explained why this is so important for our area's homebound seniors.

"The meal is the one program that really keeps those seniors at home," Rountree said. "We probably have 14 or 15 other programs at the Caddo Council on Aging, but this is one program that's so dear to the heart to so many people."

And Rountree said Willie Jones is lending his star power to the fight against senior hunger. He told KEEL News why he decided to jump on board for this year's event.

"This is just a great time to get out and help those in need," Jones said. "When I just delivered a meal, it's such a pleasure to see them smile and know that you made their day a little bit better just by delivering them a nutritious, delicious meal. So I'm really excited to be a part."

Rountree said this is the perfect time to make your donation to Meals on Wheels.

"The community has been so good to us in the past, and we ask them to be good to us again, so that we can continue delivering those number of meals," Rountree said. "We're also asking, always, for volunteers to deliver the meals, because that's been a big asset. We've probably had 400 volunteers involved in delivering about 300 of those thousand meals."

And Jones told us he'd even be willing to help with those deliveries. "I would, actually, because it's just a pleasure being able to see them smile and help them out a bit," he said. "So I'm down for delivering once a week."

Jones will be performing a few songs at the March for Meals, being held in downtown Shreveport's Festival Plaza Friday, March 7, 2014, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. He says he'll be kicking things off with the National Anthem.