As Dean Westover pulled up to the modest home in Newbury, he reviewed his protocols. Facemask, check. Gloves, check. He unloaded the package of food from the back of his car that included three frozen meals, as well as snacks that could last for a while, and surveyed the home. All was quiet. He approached the house hoping he would find his client well, exchange a few words of reassurance and encouragement, and be on his way after removing his protective gear and using his hand sanitizer.
Such is the twice weekly routine during COVID for Westover, a Meals on Wheels driver employed by the Community Action Program of Belknap and Merrimack Counties. He and four other drivers navigate out of the Mountain View Senior Center in Bradford, which provides more than 400 meals to recipients in the Kearsarge region. A spry 86-year-old, Westover is the senior of the drivers, but the others are not far behind.
Delivering on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Meals on Wheels drivers each cover roughly 50 to 70 miles providing meals to over 20 clients. But, they don’t deliver just food, they deliver hope and connection.
“For many of these people, I am the only person they see all week,” said Westover, a retired commercial pilot. “A lot of them have stuff they want to get off their chest whether it is my business or not.”
Part therapist, part companion, part lifeline, the drivers become a cherished connection for an often invisible population right here in our communities.
The drivers are acutely aware of the tenuous existence of some of their clients, and they instinctively make an assessment with every visit – they are the eyes and ears of the community, looking out for the most vulnerable. Their clients may have no electrical power, they may be bedridden or recliner-bound, they may be in crisis. Driver Jim Denoncourt, who recently turned 86 himself, recalls a visit before the pandemic when his client had fallen out of bed and was on the floor when he arrived. Following procedure, he reassured the client and called 911. His brief intervention made a big difference.
The Meals on Wheels program blossomed out of efforts in the 1960s by the federal government to provide a safety net for Americans in need. Among those initiatives was the Older Americans Act, established in 1965, which promoted and provided funding for community social services for the elderly. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, counties throughout New Hampshire developed localized programs that are now supported by federal, state, and local funding, as well as the United Way, foundation and charitable grants, donations, and some fees. Recipients of the meals donate up to $10 a week for the service based on their ability to pay. In addition to paid employees, volunteers provide essential support for the day-to-day functions of these programs.
It’s Tuesday morning at the Senior Center, and the drivers have started to arrive to gather their deliveries. Elizabeth Labbe, director of the Bradford site, has packed the coolers for most of the drivers, putting the meals for those with special dietary needs in marked black bags. She wears a face mask whose straps disappear into her curly red hair. Labbe deftly navigates the kitchen and its freezers confirming that the needs of each client are being met.
Jay Hinnendael, a retired house painter who has been delivering meals for a few years now, pulls into the parking lot in his small pickup truck. Wearing a facemask over his bearded face, he works efficiently getting his truck loaded so he can start his deliveries. Hinnendael values the independence of the job, but he also knows how important his visits are to his clients.
“They’re always happy to see me. You can see the smile,” he said.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, there was more opportunity for drivers to make connections, both with their fellow staff and with the clients to whom they delivered meals. For one thing, they delivered meals five days a week. Together at the Senior Center, they would package the meals and enjoy catching up.
“I have become really good friends with the people I work with,” said Hinnendael, who has delivered meals for 10 years. “We would even get together outside of the workplace.”
Out on the route, they could enter their clients homes, build stronger relationships, and complete more thorough wellness checks. Hinnendael loves the friendships he has built with clients on his regular route.
“I particularly like talking to the old guys,” he says, meaning those older than he. “They have so much wisdom and experience.” One man was a World War II veteran and had a photo of an aircraft on the wall. “That plane was following the Enola Gay!” he said.
Group meals were also an option before the virus. The center’s facilities allowed for “congregates” – those who came into the center for meals and social time – to play board games, do puzzles, and even play the piano. There was much more opportunity for support and connection. But, COVID has changed all that. While some congregate clients pick up meals to go at the Senior Center, most meals come pre-packaged and frozen from a company in Maine to be delivered by the drivers.
The pandemic has changed how drivers can interact with their clients. “People are scared,” Westover said. “Some just watch TV all the time, and some don’t even have a television. I try to calm them down.”
Meals are left at the door, and safety precautions are followed. Most clients are low risk because they stay at home.
“They are aware of the virus,” Hinnendael said, “but they’ll say, ‘I’ve lived 98 years and seen everything.’ They’re not really worried, and neither am I.”
It is not always easy in a community to know who is in need. And, often, those in need do not know how or are unwilling to reach out for help.
“We struggle with the digital divide – poor internet access, low technical skills,” Labbe said, “as well as lack of money.”
Referrals to the program are mostly grassroots. “Locals know who is in need; people find out about us mostly by word of mouth. Food insecurity is often invisible, and we need the outreach because people are often too prideful to ask.”
Within an hour, the drivers’ cars are loaded. Hinnendael has headed out to his route but Westover lingers just inside the back door of the Senior Center. Rita, the former director, stops in to say hello on this delivery day. She is soon to have a hip operation and plans to sign up for the meals for herself. It is clear that Westover is reluctant to leave this community of colleagues who have become friends. He checks his notes, asks a few questions, and is on his way.
With Labbe at mission control in the Senior Center, these drivers venture into their communities to build and reinforce a web of support that sustains those in need. And, often, what comes around goes around.
“I delivered to a new client recently who is 98,” Hinnendael said. “I remember when he was a scoutmaster. I have admired him for a long time!”
These Meals on Wheels drivers have found a way to give back. And, in the meantime, they have learned that the true gift has been in the giving itself.