By Leslie Ford – On Thursday, October 30, several members of Seeds of Strength visited the Madella Hilliard Senior Center to learn more about Meals on Wheels. Each day, Monday – Friday, lunch is served at the center in addition to the meals provided through Meals on Wheels. The Center also serves as a social hub, where seniors can play games and visit with friends. So when we arrived at 9:00, several seniors were also entering the Center. We had the pleasure of meeting 94 year-old Miss Aida who was wearing a tiara, since it was the day before Halloween, and the Center was having a party. We also met Larry, dressed as a farmer, who had owned a barbershop on the Georgetown Square for 40 years.
Deanna Shanklin, program manager at the Center, told us that she didn’t think of these seniors as clients; rather, they are part of the Center’s family. “Our job is a job of compassion,” she said. As we toured the Center, we definitely felt the compassion that was shared by employees and seniors alike.
The meals delivered by Meals on Wheels help keep people who are homebound in their homes. To qualify for this program, a person has to have a medical, mental or physical disability. Ninety-eight meals are sent out each day from the Center, and on the day of our visit, Seeds of Strength members helped prepare them.
I wanted to learn more, so I took the opportunity to ride along on route 1B in Sun City. The driver, Billie, has been a Meals on Wheels driver for over 15 years. When I asked if she has this same route every Thursday, she told me she delivers meals to these same people each day, Monday – Friday. Wow! Talk about commitment and compassion.
By the time we had delivered the meals and returned to the Madella Hilliard Senior Center, I had become quite a fan of the Center as well as the Meals on Wheels program. I had learned so much about compassion in our community. What a great morning!