Week 3 (Feb 9-17) – Deliveries and Discoveries – This week has been focused on the service project which is working with Meals on Wheels (MoW). I am more than impressed with this local organization. Their facilities are top notch, but what is most impressive is the organization of the staff and volunteers. This is a well-oiled feeding machine that serves north of 1000 meals per day!
The clientele of MoW is very diverse and the needs are diverse as well. Some of the clients are receiving the meals due to poverty, but most are elderly or have health issues and need a helping hand. Some have temporary needs that may be the result of recovering from a surgery or injury. We have to watch for signs of need, abuse and general well-being along the way and report anyone that does not answer the door and phone. MoW then follows up with those to make sure everything is all right. If you are a regular driver you will establish your own route so that relationships can blossom. Due to the short period of time that I was scheduled to work, I am listed as a substitute driver and I had a different route every day.
Something that hit me was the fact that there are needs for meals that cross every socio-economic spectrum. The needs are real. I walked up to doors in very impoverished neighborhoods on one day and delivered around my own neighborhood the next. A few places that I delivered to made me thankful that I have a concealed handgun license, but 95% of the time I felt very secure.
I made some discoveries along the way beyond the diversity of needs.
- Some people are very lonely and need the contact as much as the meal.
- It takes very little effort to make someone smile who needs a little sunshine in their day.
- Some people want you to deliver their meal and move on.
- Most people are appreciative and thankful for the meal and contact.
- A few are ungrateful, unappreciative, and feel entitled. Thankfully this was a small percentage of the contacts that were made.
- Every one of us needs a little help every now and then.
I must be honest, I struggled with being judgmental in some cases. I found it very difficult not to judge when the door opens and smoke starts to pour out from the 4 packs of cigarettes that were smoked in the previous 10 minutes. I can’t understand people continuing to smoke when the issue they are dealing with is rooted in this habit. I also struggled with those few that have ungrateful or entitled attitudes. I also know that this is a shortcoming in my personality that God wants me to deal with, yet I struggle.
My favorite delivery was my last delivery on my first day. “Frank” was 96 years old and sharp as a tack. He lost his wife 2 years ago, and probably needed the contact as much as the meal. He was a pilot in WWII and a retired engineer for Chevron/Texaco. He was very proud to be a UT Longhorn and very proud of the body of work during his career. Frank built the first pipeline over the Andes mountain range and other impressive projects as well. He was very proud of his house that he served as the General Contractor for the project and the craftsmanship was evident. Frank wasn’t afraid to share his faith and quoted scripture freely.
As I chatted with Frank, God gave me an impression that as we age, He prepares us for home. Our bodies wear and Heaven becomes more populated with our friends and family than what we have here on Earth. Although Frank was a positive, happy person, it was evident that he would be even happier when his time comes, in our permanent home.
The week left me grateful and hopeful, but it also left me heavy-hearted experiencing the needs and struggles that others have. We are grateful for health and the many other blessings that God has graciously allowed on our lives.