A little after 10 a.m., I drove to Marion Senior Services to buddy up with a kind woman named Barbara and head out on my first Meals On Wheels route!
For those of you who may be in the dark about Meals On Wheels, it is an organization dedicated to ending senior hunger. I spoke with a volunteer coordinator and filled out paperwork expressing my interest in delivering meals to seniors in need in the area a few weeks ago and got word on Tuesday that my background check cleared.
Barbara and I left on our route a little before 11 a.m. and delivered meals to homes within a 10 mile radius. The route we completed will be my assigned route a few days a month moving forward and I enjoyed meeting all of the people I will be delivering lunch to in the future.
Some people were very chatty and excited to see what was on the menu for the day while others remained in another room of their house and simply called out for us to leave the food on the table. Meals on Wheels did a great job of detailing some of the obstacles volunteers might face at each residence, making note of the seniors who are hard of hearing, those who cannot answer the door, etc. Knowing a little bit about what to expect made it easier for me to feel prepared walking into someone’s home.
During our last stop of the day, Barbara and I walked into a very emotional situation. We knocked on the door of an elderly couple’s apartment to deliver two lunches to a husband and wife. Their daughter answered the door in tears, informing us that her mother passed away yesterday. It was heartbreaking, especially when she talked about how her dad was coping with the loss of his wife.
When we arrived back at Marion Senior Services, I thanked Barbara and said goodbye to her before speaking with the volunteer coordinator about our last stop of the day. She said that unfortunately things like this happen every so often and can be the hardest part about volunteering with Meals On Wheels since occasionally a death may occur. It was a memorable first day with Meals On Wheels and I cannot stop thinking about our last stop. I am scheduled to deliver meals again next week and hope I can meet the man who lost his wife and be of some comfort during such a difficult time (if he is looking for someone to talk to, that is).
Lunch
When I arrived home, I wasn’t in the mood to cook anything, so I snacked on a pita topped with Alouette Italian herb spreadable cheese while gathering the ingredients I needed to make a smoothie.
To make my smoothie I combined:
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 scoop fitmixer chocolate protein powder
- 1 tbsp. dark chocolate coco powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 handful ice cubes
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach
- Enough almond milk to get everything moving
It was a simple lunch, but a good one.
I hope I can get my head back into the zone today, as I’m having trouble thinking about anything else other than the last stop of my Meals On Wheels route. Even though I didn’t know the woman who passed away, seeing a family so enveloped in grief broke my heart.
Today’s experience made me think about something I read that Cheryl Strayed, the author of Wild, said about grief. “There is no other side where you arrive on the shore and you walk away clean.” Grief is a process and you don’t just wake up “healed” from your hurt one day. Grief is something we carry with us, but along with that grief, I like to think that we carry a little bit of the people we lost with us, too.
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I remember delivering a meal to some old man who had passed out or was asleep- we assume passed out because there was a bottle of booze on the table also. There were a lot of happy moments but then some that were heartbreaking.
I work at a Veterans’ home where people pass away on a daily basis. It never is something a person can get used to and so sad when family members – who you usually have a year long relationship with and know better than the deceased – come in that last time to pick up personal belongings. The best thing you can do is listen to them and offer comfort and support. Meals on Wheels is a great program offering services to an often ignored and underserved population!
Just catching up with my Google Reader, and I had to comment. The last bit about grief staying with us is so true. I lost my dad 6 years ago (he passed away after suffering a major stroke). I used to think that I just hadn’t completely dealt with my grief. The hurt and anger from losing my dad when I was still young (I was only 27 at the time) seemed so present. Over the years, I have come to realize that the grief will never go away. But in a way, I wouldn’t want it to. I loved my dad very much, and he was a great dad. Of course I would want him here with me now. Reading that last piece in your post brought a tear to my eye. It’s actually a beautiful realization.
Meals on Wheels is a very great program. My mom actually coordinates the program in our town. She also works at a large retirement/nursing facility here, and she knows all too well the difficulty of working with people at the end of their lives. You are doing a great thing by volunteering with Meals on Wheels.
Thanks for your feedback on volunteering with Meals on Wheels. I have been nervous to reach out because of the sad or scary situations that could come up…but your post and other’s replies have inspired me to go for it. It makes a difference and I can learn how to better handle difficult situations if they come up. Thank you!!