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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The Salvation Army works year round to provide assistance to those in need.

However, sometimes winter weather tries to interfere with its service to the community.

Snow twice canceled the Salvation Army’s food assistance program's community meal because volunteers could not make it through the snow to cook.

The Meals on Wheels program also suffers from weather, but the Salvation Army prepares by creating "shelf stable meals."

"So when our drivers take lunches out to somebody they will take them a box with four more meals in it.  So it's not a hot meal made fresh that day but it is something that they can heat up themselves, or in some cases they don't need to heat, but that way if we get hit by a big snowstorm and the drivers can't get out those people are guaranteed they'll have meals for 3-4 days,” said Captain Paul Ferguson of the Ottumwa Salvation Army.

Drivers were able to get out Monday.  Three drivers deliver up to 200 meals a day in Ottumwa.  One driver said she was "slipping and sliding all over the place" delivering meals today.

"The winter's been a little bit of a bear sometimes from them.  I feel bad for them because they have to get out of their cars at each individual house and take things up through the ice and snow up to a front porch or door to get them to the people that need them," Ferguson said.

Ferguson added appreciation for all of his volunteers and said he has been told by some of the meal recipients that they would not be able to stay in their homes if it were not for the program.