 |
Dear Friends,
In this day of uncertainty, hardships and struggles, there will be many
who go to bed hungry, not only during the holidays, but
all year long. Meals on Wheels of Lewes & Rehoboth has been addressing this need in
our local community for 37 years by providing nutritious meals to area
homebound seniors. In addition to daily meals, our volunteers also
deliver warm smiles, a gentle touch and essential social
contact. For some seniors, this may be the only opportunity during the
course of their day to interact with another human being--a key factor in
preventing the adverse nutritional effects of social
isolation.
Pictured
below is 77 year old Willard Allen & his wife Dorothy who is
84. The Allens have been married for 56 years and were referred for meal
service after being released from extensive hospital and rehabilitation
stays, both at the same time. Mr. Allen is diabetic and must go for
dialysis treatment three times each week. He receives wound care and
physical therapy as he lost his left leg and now has a
prosthesis. Mrs. Allen cannot stand for any length of time and experiences dizzy
spells quite often.
Mr. & Mrs.
Allen both agreed that having meals delivered each day makes their life a lot
easier. Mr. Allen stated that the meals are training
him to eat better. He knows that each meal contains just what he
needs nutritionally and he doesn’t overeat anymore!
They praised the volunteers who deliver their meals stating,
“They are very nice and helpful. They are like a part of our family!
We are now able to sit down and enjoy eating our meals together.”
Pictured
next is Tiffany Straza, one of our 100+ valued volunteer
drivers. Tiffany is a student at the College of Marine & Earth Studies,
University of Delaware, Lewes campus.
|
|
The college has a team of
volunteers who take turns delivering a route each week.
She became involved as she saw this as a great opportunity to help and to be
involved with the community. While delivering meals, Tiffany did not get
an answer when she knocked on the door of a client.
This was a first for this woman as, in the past, she had always greeted her at the
door. She knocked repeatedly and after getting no answer left the meal with a
neighbor. However, she felt that something may be wrong so she went
back to her door to knock again. She heard a faint call for help this time
but could not open the locked door. She called 911 and while waiting for
them to arrive, got a nearby maintenance worker to open the
door. The client was on the floor from a fall the previous
evening. Tiffany stated, “I see the importance of this
program. The time it takes is of little importance
when compared to the impact of the program. Were it not for someone
delivering meals to this client, she may have not been found for a very
long time.” Tiffany also recommends getting involved with a program
such as Meals on Wheels. She says, “It is a great way to give back to the
local community while interacting with seniors and fellow
volunteers. It grounds you, in a sense, to meet these people and see how life is for
someone who is housebound or has difficulty getting around; it makes
your world focus a little larger and helps you feel like you are a
part. I always finish delivering my route feeling refreshed and, in a way,
important!”
Nutrition remains critical throughout the life cycle, but good nutrition in
later years is instrumental in the management of chronic diseases
prevalent among older Americans. Proper nutrition contributes to a
higher quality of life, enabling seniors to maintain their
independence. They are better able to continue performing basic daily activities, such as
bathing, dressing and eating. Meals on Wheels is designed to provide
healthy nutritional meals suited to specific dietary needs of
seniors. Social contact to those living in isolation arrives daily with each meal
delivery, as does the comfort of knowing that no one is refused
service due to the inability to pay for meals. In 2007 over 94,000 meals were
delivered to homebound seniors in eastern Sussex County through Meals
on Wheels of Lewes & Rehoboth. The need for our service continues to
grow each year. The future of Meals on Wheels infinitely depends upon
community support. Last year, your gifts of over $29,000 supplied daily
meals to 11 of our homebound seniors for the entire year!
Please help us to reach our goal of $40,000 this year.
All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law
and can be made conveniently from
the "sponsor meals here!" link on the
navigation button panel above on the left.
Thank you and may your holiday season be filled with love and
joy.
|
|
