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More than a meal – much, much more !
By Claire Cox
When Meals on Wheels drivers roll up to the doors of nearly 800 homes in Berkshire County five days a week, they arrive not only with well-prepared, nutritious hot lunches but also with cheery greetings and perhaps time for a brief chat.
For elders living alone, the Meals on Wheels visits provided by Elder Services may be their only contact with another person during long days as shut-ins. A meal delivery can lead to other Elder Services assistance such as help with balancing bank accounts, shopping for necessities or a ride to a medical appointment.
The meals are provided to homebound elders at least 60 years of age, regardless of income. The elders must be unable to prepare a meal or arrange for someone to prepare a meal for them, and must also be without transportation to one of the county’s 14 congregate meal sites, which serve the same hot lunches to about 250 people each weekday.
The Meals on Wheels program operates with an annual budget of $1,400,000. With a cost of $5.94 to prepare and deliver each meal, there will be a shortfall estimated at $95,000 this year, which Elder Services hopes to address through fund-raising.
“The program receives both federal and state funding. Unfortunately, funding has been basically level for the past ten years. During the same time period, the cost of preparing and delivering the meals has gone up significantly.” Robert P. Dean, executive director of Elder Services, said in an interview. “We do have a suggested donation of $2 per meal, but emphasize that it is only suggested. Sometimes we get more than the suggested amount, but on average Elder Services receives $1.25 per meal from suggested donations.”
“We are absolutely committed to our Meals on Wheels program,” Dean said. “Any elder who calls and needs a meal will get that meal as soon as we can deliver it. A caseworker goes out within three days to meet with the elder and observe other things the elder might need help with, such as assistance with personal care (bathing, dressing, etc.), homemaking, money management and many other things. So, you see, much more than a meal is involved.”
In 2003, Elder Services prepared 245,000 meals in its own kitchen, with paid and volunteer drivers covering 33 routes to deliver 187,000 lunches to elders. The rest of the meals went to the congregate lunch sites. A different menu is served every day.
The drivers are mainly retired but include young mothers earning extra money while their children are in school. When Jim Poulton retired from a career at General Electric 10 years ago he decided “to give something back to the community.” He has not once missed his assigned two hours of driving 10 miles a day, 5 days a week to deliver meals to 17 of his Pittsfield neighbors.
“I know them all,” Jim said. “I went to grammar school or high school with about all of their children. I love my job. I’d do it seven days a week if I could.”
At age 83, Don Whelpley, a Hinsdale farmer, is one of the oldest drivers, working for an hourly rate and making regular deliveries to 23 clients. Twelve years ago Jean Wade, a retired insurance company clerk, became a driver “because I wanted something part-time to keep me physically active.”
A roster of 150 volunteers is involved in all aspects of the program, from cooking and packing the meals to serving them at the congregate sites. Eight of the 14 meal sites are directed by volunteers, four of them age 75 and over; paid directors supervise the other six sites.
Barbara Callahan, 73, one of the volunteer site directors, has recently been named a Tom Kelly Volunteer of the Year for 2004. A resident of Hinsdale, she has been volunteering with Elder Services nutrition program for 13 years, first setting tables at the Hinsdale congregate site and now managing it. She calls in the count for the next day’s meal, assures food safety, sees that everyone is served by her volunteer staff and runs bingo games.
Hoping to increase public participation in Meals on Wheels, Elder Services has organized a corporate Community Partnerships program in which several major employers have recruited a total of more than 50 volunteers from their staffs to help deliver meals.
“This initiative has increased their employees’ awareness of elder needs and issues,” Dean said. “ It gives the paid drivers more time to spend with elders. It has been a really nice program. We hope to expand it.”