Meals on Wheels of Greeley and Weld County has delivered more than just meals for the past 25 years.
The delivery supplies a “pick-me-up” for both the clients and volunteers.
One client for the past few years turned to Meals on Wheels after being hospitalized for four days. Upon discharge, doctors told him to consider moving into assisted living.
But he wasn’t ready to leave behind his property and animals, so he called Meals on Wheels instead.
Since then, that man has maintained his independence, spending his lunchtime taking care of his animals instead of worrying about cooking and cleaning up a meal. The service that has “helped him tremendously,” got him back on his feet after his stint in the hospital and has kept him well since.
And he isn’t the only person forever changed by Meals on Wheels. As far back as 1970, clients and volunteers have formed close connections because it’s not a door drop-off service; it’s a check-in.
Food goes directly into the hands of clients, sparking exchanges, eliminating isolation and bringing a smile to a senior’s face.
The local Meals on Wheels reached its 55th anniversary on Monday, and the team plans to celebrate the milestone all month long with a T-shirt fundraiser and open house.
History
Meals on Wheels delivers a lunchtime meal — a nutritious hot tray paired with a cold sack of sides like fruits and drinks — Monday through Friday to homebound adults 50 and older, with a few exceptions for younger individuals with health concerns or disabilities.
The mission assures that seniors, many in low-income households, get access to nutritional meals to keep them healthy and living independently in their own homes. However, Executive Director Michelle Dwyer said, it’s just as consequential to provide a sense of community to the older adults, who have become the “forgotten generation.”
“It’s more than the food,” Dwyer said. “One of the things that COVID has taught us is socialization … maybe it’s just a two-minute conversation, but it gives them a reason to get up, get dressed and comb their hair that day. When we go out on the deliveries, the people are waiting for us, and they’re so grateful.”
Meals on Wheels staff members Shana Oster, left, and Laura Araujo pack hot meals to deliver to clients around Weld County on Wednesday. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)On the day the founding executive director, Mary Margaret, launched Meals on Wheels in Greeley 55 years ago, a team of eight volunteers delivered 24 meals. From 1970 until 2004, Meals on Wheels partnered with and operated inside The Good Samaritan Society’s Bonell community.
The growing need for meals and connections among the senior population moved the organization into its current main building at 2131 9th St. in Greeley, where the team makes meals and runs operations in-house.
Today, Dwyer, who took over as director seven years ago, said Meals on Wheels has grown to nearly 200 volunteers between the Greeley and Firestone offices, totaling 130 to 180 hot meals served daily.
Volunteers out of the Greeley office run 18 routes a day, 14 of which stay in Greeley and Evans, and the additional four stop in Eaton, Windsor, the Johnstown and Miliken area, and the LaSalle, Gilcrest and Platteville area. This means about 120 to 150 hot meals from the Greeley location are delivered into Weld County homes daily.
The Firestone office, a much smaller yet essential operation, has three to four routes that supply 15 to 35 hot meals every day.
On any given day, an assortment of dedicated and caring volunteers will arrive at the two locations to make a difference and give back, whether it’s someone who has had a route for more than 20 years, a community-based program like the Otero Corporation or a generational “family affair” that a mother and daughter do together.
‘Together, we can deliver’
Once a week, for over a year now, Jessie Yates has volunteered for Meals on Wheels with a group from the Otero Corporation, which provides support and services to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Meals on Wheels has become the group’s favorite part of the week, Yates included, due to the community connections element.
Senior clients thrive on social interactions, also benefiting Yates’ group, who enjoy spending time with the people they serve. Yates believes anyone who has a certain skill set or strong personality, like the volunteers who tag along with her, needs to share their gift with others through community service like Meals on Wheels.
“It’s not about how much you do for somebody, it’s just what you can do for them,” Yates said. “The most rewarding thing is to see, hear and feel people’s reactions.”
The group has proven that Meals on Wheels goes beyond the food. One of their senior clients mentioned having a messy yard that she couldn’t fix up on her own. The Otero Cooperation volunteers immediately came to Yates and asked to use their “free day,” typically reserved for fun activities, to help improve her yard.
A Meals on Wheels volunteer leaves to deliver fresh food to clients on Wednesday in Greeley. The Meals on Wheels is celebrating 55 years of helping people. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Another beloved client went from volunteering for Meals on Wheels to getting food delivered to him after a few health scares. His dual perspective has shown that no matter what side of the fence a person is on, a quick exchange will bring anyone’s mood up when feeling down.
Before becoming a client, he felt fortunate to give back and visit with others, which often helped him “get out of himself.” Now, the upbeat moments he shares with the people who volunteer every week have kept him “on the right side of the sod,” because they check on him and ask him how he’s doing.
Many clients look forward to the friendly visits so much that volunteers can find them waiting on the porch or by the door for them to pull up. This includes a witty client in her 90s named Bonnie, who awaits a volunteer’s arrival to make a humorous gag or tell a story about her past as a dancer.
Meals on Wheels has become a blessing for Bonnie, who said shopping and cooking have become too difficult. The deliveries also provide respite to her husband, who’s 10 years younger than her, because the two can share a meal without him having to take on more work as a caregiver.
Guaranteeing a check-in with each drop off keeps an eye on the clients’ well-being. If they don’t answer the door or there seems to be a health concern, volunteers can tell the Meals on Wheels team, who will then reach out to client families.
Meals on Wheels goes above and beyond by also celebrating client birthdays with a card and a cupcake, and providing holiday meals.
Still here, and not going anywhere
Over the past 55 years, Meals on Wheels has faced leadership changes, COVID-19 quarantine restrictions and funding challenges. But the mission has never slowed down.
The Older Americans Act funds the hot meals served by Meals on Wheels, but Dwyer said the organization lost 40% of that funding for this fiscal year. Concerns about potential funding cuts happening across the nation have been raised because “you can’t take nutrition off the table,” Dwyer said.
Fortunately, Meals on Wheels isn’t completely dependent on federal funding, also leaning on grant money, fundraisers and client meal donations.
In honor of the 55th anniversary, Meals on Wheels partnered with a local artist to design a special T-shirt for an April campaign to raise money for an increasing need as the senior population continues to grow. Future investments, according to Dwyer, could include the addition of another kitchen to serve more people and expand into other parts of the county.
For more information on purchasing a shirt, contact info@mealsonwheelsgreeley.com.
Meals on Wheels of Greeley and Weld County will also host a special Open House event with refreshments, door prizes and an opportunity to purchase the shirts from 4-6 p.m. April 29 at the Greeley location.
For more information about Meals on Wheels or to donate, get meals or volunteer, go to mealsonwheelsgreeley.com.
“We want to paint the town with the fact that we are still here,” Dwyer said. “We are still serving our community after 55 years. We want to go for another 55 years.”
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