The Face of Meals on Wheels

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator


I rode along on a Meals on Wheels route for the first time this week, accompanying veteran volunteers Flo and Bernard. Flo drives the route and organizes the meals, and Bernard navigates and makes the actual deliveries.

It finally really hit me that most of our clients aren’t just the elderly. They are the poor elderly. Some pay a token sum for their meals (about $25 dollars a week for seven days of meals, two meals a day), but many can’t even afford that. I knew those numbers as an objective fact, but experienced them on a more emotional level as we drove.

The neighborhood we delivered in is a rough one, often featured on the evening news. Bernard pointed out local landmarks – “that’s where the fire was last year that killed those kids” or “over there is where that shooting last week was.” The houses themselves told a story of poverty and neglect. Battered cars parked along streets pocked with deep potholes. Rusted fences, boarded up windows, and sagging porches. Once beautiful homes, now peeling and graffitied and tired.

But in the midst of the decay, there were the inevitable marks of human occupation, signs of lives not just endured but enjoyed. A tattered American flag in a window. Wind chimes swaying gently on a porch. A well-tended rose bush growing defiantly among the weeds.

Most of the clients that I met matched their surroundings – old, tired, but with grateful smiles to greet the arrival of their meals. Most were shy about meeting me, hesitant to have their pictures taken (although most relented after being assured that they looked just fine).

“Oh, I’m not dressed for that!”

“Let me just freshen up a bit.”

“Well, now, you caught me in my bathrobe! Can’t take a picture like that.”

For some of these men and women, that brief interaction as the meal is delivered and pleasantries exchanged might be their only human contact of the day. I got the impression that they treasure it. That it’s every bit as important to them as the food we brought.

City Teens Profile -- Zack Roman

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Today’s City Teen profile looks at a current participant: Zack Roman. Zack attends Fox Chapel High School, where he’ll be a junior this fall. This is his first year participating in the City Teens Project – he found out about the program on the recommendation of a family friend whose child took part in the program a few years ago.

Zack’s only been on the job a couple weeks, but so far he says its going well – “labor intensive, but good” were his exact words. He’s spent time sorting donations, cleaning the dining hall, and even moving refrigerators while rearranging the Extras Room. He’s learning the ropes so that when our summer groups start arriving, he’ll be ready to help them.

When he’s not hard at work at EECM, Zack likes to hang out with his friends and play sports – golfing and cross-country are his favorites. He’s also a huge Penguins fan.

Zack has agreed to write a blog or two about his experiences as a City Teen in the weeks to come so keep your eyes open!

Strawberrific

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Earlier this week, the clients of our Food Pantry got a special early-summer treat -- fresh strawberries. Lots of them. Thanks to the efforts of a group of students from the Kentucky Avenue School, we were able to distribute bags of freshly picked strawberries along with the usual bags of grocery staples like pasta and spaghetti.

The students of Kentucky Avenue School had volunteered several times with EECM throughout the school year. Their teachers decided that they wanted their students to make a donation that really meant something -- a donation they had worked to provide.

So, they gathered the kids and headed to a local strawberry patch to pick some fruit. The students then came to the Pantry to donate the fruits of their labor (solemnly assuring us they had only eaten the mutant berries too ugly to donate in good conscience). What a fabulous project! A great lesson and a wonderful treat for our Pantry clients.

City Teens Profile: Eliza Hens-Greco

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator


I thought it might be fun to start off our series on the City Teens by profiling a previous participant of the program who has returned this summer to volunteer again with EECM. A great big Welcome Back to Eliza Hens-Greco, member of the 2005 City Teens.

Eliza, who just graduated this spring from Winchester Thurston School, spent the summer after her freshman year of high school participating in the City Teens Project. She was familiar with EECM through her church (First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, an EECM Member Congregation) which serves monthly meals at our Men’s Shelter. Eliza was looking for something fun to do over the summer and the City Teens Project fit the bill.

Working 3-4 days a week from 9am to 3:30pm, Eliza experienced the full scope of EECM’s Hunger Programs – she unloaded and sorted the huge daily donations of bread from local grocery stores, stuffed Food Pantry bags, served in the kitchen, and worked with visiting groups on projects like cleaning the Men’s Emergency Shelter.

But her favorite job was working the “Extras Room” at the Food Pantry. After clients received their two bags of household staples, Eliza would accompany them to the Extras Room that housed fresh produce, bread, and other miscellaneous food donations. She helped them select items they needed, chatting for about ten minutes in the process.

Eliza says, “I loved working in the Extras Room. All of the prep work – like bags and meal preparation – was fun because the staff and other volunteers were great, but in the Extras Room, I was able to have personal contact with the people we were serving and it was amazing. I got to hear their stories and get to know them. They had such beautiful stories and they were lovely and gracious people. I always looked forward most to working in the Extra’s Room and it was my interactions with clients there that stayed with me when I went home for the day.”

This fall, Eliza heads to Earlham College in Indiana. But she’ll be spending the next few weeks before the start of orientation volunteering once again with EECM. We’re glad to have her back!

Teen Time in the City

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development & Donor Communications Coordinator

(to be sung to the tune of "Silver Bells")

City Teens,

City Teens,

It's summer-time in the City!

Here they come,

Time for fun,

We all love our City Teens!

Musically-questionable Christmas carol parodies aside, I am thrilled to announce the start of the 2008 City Teens Project. Let's hear it for teenagers who care!

Each year, East End Cooperative Ministry recruits a group of teenagers who are looking to do more with their summer than sleep, swim, and play video games. The City Teens commit to volunteering at least seven hours each week with EECM, usually working in our Hunger Programs. They perform "typical" volunteer duties like packing Food Pantry bags and helping prepare meals for the Soup Kitchen, but they also play a vital role in helping to organize and oversee the many groups that visit EECM over the summer.

During the summer months, we get regular shipments of youth groups and other community groups that come for a weekend or for week-long service projects, and the City Teens show the newcomers the ropes and help find good projects for them to work on. It's great -- the City Teens gain leadership experience while helping others and the visiting groups have a knowledgeable person guiding them.

Over the next days and weeks, we'll be featuring a number of our 2008 City Teens on the blog, from profiles about participants to posts written by the City Teens as they share their summer experiences. Stay tuned!

Dick and Jane at 59

Written by: Joan Millar, EECM Board Member and long-time volunteer

I drive Meals on Wheels for EECM and have done so for a number of years. Still I am always amazed and surprised at the scope of the ministry. The story my visitor told me the other day adds another dimension to EECM's concern for the people of the East End.

He was from Bridge Housing, one of EECM's housing programs for homeless men. As we drove along, we talked about this and that and soon discovered neither of us was a native Pittsburgher, I from the Midwest, he from elsewhere in the state. A bit later, after we were comfortable with each other, he began telling me the story of his life and his experience with EECM.

"I'm 59 years old and been on drugs most of my life. I been in and out of rehab a lot. It's hard. You have to have faith and believe you can do it. The most important thing is to stay away from those old friends. I got new friends here. I been clean for two years now."

We were quiet for a while and then he continued his story.

"You know, I don't read that good. I really never learned how. But I'm learning now. EECM told me about that place where they teach you to read. Some kind of a ‘council.’ I don't remember the name.* I go there two hours twice a week. I been struggling to learn. But you know what? The other day I went to the library and asked if they had any Dick and Jane books. The lady got me one and I sat down and I could read the whole book! I was so excited! I knew every word. I'm so happy!"

Imagine a 59 year old man having gained the courage and self esteem to go to the library and ask for a Dick and Jane book. His story blew me away!

* The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council

Work-A-Thon

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Each year, Trinity Christian School organizes a really cool one-day event. It's called the Work-A-Thon. The goal is to raise money for the school by volunteering at sites across Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Students request pledges from family, friends, and neighbors for each hour that they serve during the Work-A-Thon.

This year, on May 1st, the school sent out 267 students, faculty and chaperones to more than 33 sites around the City. Together, they logged an amazing amount of volunteer hours -- more than 2,400 hours in one day! They raked leaves, spread mulch, painted, planted flowers, participated in the National Day of Prayer, began the building of a new park, worked with senior citizens and more.

As you may have suspected, East End Cooperative Ministry was the fortunate host to a team of students from Trinity. Eight students and two teachers spent the morning packing Food Pantry bags and preparing meals for Meals on Wheels. They served lunch at the Soup Kitchen and ate with our clients.

This week, we received a note from the school, with this lovely phrase: "We thank God for the blessing of serving you."

And we thank the students and teachers of Trinity Christian School for organizing this wonderful project.

Cots for the Homeless

Written by: Kate Snyder

I never cease to be amazed by how awesome our volunteers are. We have a fantastic group of individuals who regularly give their time to EECM. They all deserve serious commendation for all that they do, but some really go above and beyond.

Take Wil, a volunteer with our homeless programs. If that name sounds familiar, it's because I've mentioned him before (click here and here). Wil regularly volunteers in our Men's Emergency Shelter and, through his interactions with EECM staff, he noticed that the shelter could really use some more camping cots.

Our shelter is licensed to house 24 men. On most nights, we shelter more like 30. We try not to turn people away if it can be avoided and so we sleep the overflow guests on cots in the dining room. But they tend to break and we were running short.

But not for long -- it's Super Wil to the rescue! Wil recruited friends and family to contribute funds to purchase new cots. He found out what type we use, ordered them, and had them shipped to EECM. And just like that, we had new cots.

I cannot say enough what an amazing gift this was. Not only because the cots are great (which they are) but because Wil made it so easy for us. He did all the work -- fundraising and ordering -- because he saw a need to be met. And we appreciate him for it.

Many thanks also to everyone who contributed money for the new cots. They're perfect!

Market District

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

We are always eager to have volunteer groups at EECM. They come from a variety of sources -- particularly youth groups and schools. Sometimes we even get adult volunteer groups, which is fun. Last Friday was the inaugural day of what will become an ongoing volunteer project with EECM neighbor Giant Eagle Market District.

Market District has always been an active community partner -- they support our annual fundraiser financially and also regularly donate baked goods to the Food Pantry (to the delight of all!). About a month ago, they approached us about setting up a regular volunteer opportunity for their team members.

And last Friday the first three showed up for duty! Fridays are always busy in our hunger programs so we put them to work making sandwiches and packing bags in the Food Pantry and for Meals on Wheels.

In the weeks to come, Market District hopes to expand the program and have as many as eight volunteers each Friday on a rotating basis. Carrie, a member of the Communications Committee at the store and a driving force behind the project, says they're hoping to encourage a spirit of community service amongst store team members.

Great idea, Market District! And welcome!

An Extraordinary Program

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

The tutoring room is bright and cheery with bulletin boards and posters on the walls and crates of books and board games piled onto the low, kid-height tables sprinkled throughout the room. There’s a rolling blackboard in one corner with announcements written in the broad, precise “teacher script” that I never could master.

When I walked in, a young Asian boy was diligently following along in a story book while Heather, one of EECM’s ExtraOrdinary Tutoring coordinators, read it to him. He carefully pointed to each word as she read it aloud and smiled happily at the pictures of snowmen and winter play.

Soon, we were joined by a high school student from the Ellis School, who comes in after school to study and get help with her homework. Her tutor was running late, but she didn’t seem to mind. She quietly picked a spot at an empty table, took out Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and started reading with slightly furrowed brow.

Down the hall, Liz, a young elementary school teacher who tutors in her spare time, was working with Danielle. Today the subject was math and Liz had written out several story problems for Danielle to work through. Danielle thoughtfully munched on an apple while she tried to solve the puzzle. Then, her face brightened and she confidently wrote down the right answer.

This is a standard afternoon at EECM’s ExtraOrdinary Tutoring program. The volunteer tutors and their students meet for one hour a week at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Parents can sign their children up for help with a particular subject, or for general support and homework encouragement. Our tutors range in age from high school students all the way up to several retired folk who have been volunteering for years.

We’re always looking for more tutors, so if you’re interested, give us a call!

Brain Food

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

FEED THE BRAIN! PLEASE DONATE!

Fliers emblazoned with these bold exhortations gaily bedeck a huge stash of brown paper grocery bags, overflowing with food, over at the Food Pantry today. They are the impressive results of the Falk Middle School Service Committee’s (MSSC) annual Feed the Brain food drive.

The students of the MSSC (whom you might remember from an earlier post about their fabulous alternative gift market) support EECM’s Have a Heart for Hunger campaign each year by promoting a school-wide food drive.

To make things interesting, and to give the drive an academic spin, they focus on “brain food” – like canned tuna or macaroni and cheese (a studying necessity, as all college students know). They also collect gently used children’s books for our Bookcases for Kids project and our Food Pantry families.

It’s a wonderful project and just one more example of the creative ways our community supports EECM Hunger Programs. Thanks to everyone who participated!

High School Hearts

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

As promised, here’s another example of how individuals and organizations across Pittsburgh are having a heart for hunger.

Meet the team from Quaker Valley High School. As part of a senior elective course on service learning, this group of intrepid volunteers came and lent a helping hand in our Hunger Programs last week.

They sorted food donations, packed bags for the Pantry, prepared meals for our elderly Meals on Wheels clients, and served lunch at the Soup Kitchen. This isn’t the first time that EECM has benefited from the generosity of the Quaker Valley crew. Read about their creative holiday fundraiser.

These students are full of great ideas. Be sure to check out the Summer edition of the EECM newsletter (sign up for the electronic version in the right-hand sidebar) for more stories from Quaker Valley!

Thanks to all the participating students (and their teacher)! You’ve got a huge heart for hunger.

An Outing

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

In 2005, Elizabeth, one of our Meals on Wheels clients, pushed the button at the demolition of an East End housing complex where she had formerly resided. The honor was bestowed upon her for holding the position of oldest out-going resident. Now she prides herself on being the oldest inhabitant of her new apartment building. Elizabeth is sometimes coy about her exact age, but she’s definitely into her 9th decade of life.

A long-time resident of the East End, Elizabeth is a veritable wealth of knowledge about local politics and the ongoing development of this area. She knows the details of the building going in on Penn Avenue and what shops there are at the growing center of East Side. She can tell you how many units are available at the new housing complex on Penn Circle.

But she’s never seen any of those things.

Since moving into her new apartment two years ago, Elizabeth has been homebound. She receives meals from EECM and occasionally entertains a few friends, mostly from the building, but she hasn’t been able to venture out in quite a while. She avidly reads the newspapers and watches television to keep up to date on what’s happening in her neighborhood, but the information comes to her third-hand.

Or it did…until a few weeks ago, that is.

Kim, one of the volunteers who delivers Elizabeth’s meals, struck up a relationship with the elderly woman through their interactions over Meals on Wheels. Kim was impressed by her interest in the development of the area and saddened that Elizabeth hadn’t been able to see the things she was reading about.

So Kim arranged a special treat for her. After her deliveries were complete, Kim and her partner-in-volunteering, Trish, came back and picked up Elizabeth. They drove her around the neighborhood to the new construction sites, and at each, Elizabeth would tell them all about the work that had been done and what was still being planned, eyes gleaming at seeing it in person. They went out to lunch together, did a little shopping, then brought Elizabeth home.

All three women had a wonderful time and are planning on making it a regular event. Kim says “It was sweet – she got all dressed up for the outing and it clearly made her so happy to be out in the neighborhood.”

This extraordinary generosity on the part of our volunteers, going well above and beyond what is asked of them, is just one of the many reasons that we love them so dearly!

Anesthetists Unite!

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

You may not be aware, but the week of January 20-25 isn’t just any old week. No, it is National Nurse Anesthetists Week. To be perfectly honest, I had never actually heard of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) until today, but now my horizons have been broadened and I’ve officially learned my “something new” for the day.

What brought about this enlightenment? Why, the presence of more than 20 fabulous CRNAs who have been volunteering in our Hunger Programs this week as part of National Nurse Anesthetists Week.

CRNAs and students in CRNA programs across the country are participating in a variety of local community service projects as a way of celebrating the national recognition week and giving back to their communities. The University of Pittsburgh has a Nurse Anesthetists program and students in this program, as well as nurses in the city, have been donating their time to us.

Our CRNA crew has been coming every day this week in teams of about 5, arriving at 9am and staying through early afternoon. They’ve been a blessing during a busy week, cheerfully performing any and all assigned tasks and generally bringing enthusiasm and good humor with them. They also brought grocery donations to our Food Pantry and collected financial contributions from Pitt faculty, friends, and other students and nurses who were unable to come with.

Many thanks – you guys were great!

Decorating the Soup Kitchen

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

Our eating facility at the Soup Kitchen is a big cavernous dining hall. And much of the time it feels like…well…a big cavernous dining hall. Clean and well-kept but sometimes lacking in ambience. Until now.

Thanks to the creativity of My Father's World, a home-school cooperative named after the curicuulum that they use, the dining room now sparkles with holiday cheer. The group came to serve the evening meal at the Men’s Shelter last Monday night and they brought more than food. They set up an artificial Christmas tree in one corner of the room, adorning it with winsome hand-made ornaments. Each table in the dining room is also graced with a beautiful red and silver centerpiece of Christmas balls in a silver painted flower pot, sitting atop sparkly red star fabric. They’re beautiful.

Kate Funk, the volunteer service coordinator of My Father's World, said that as a group, they want their children to learn to serve others. She says, "As for the idea of decorating, I just thought it would be a way to bless others. We got all the kids together ahead of time and made Christmas decorations for the tree and the centerpieces. They actually decorated the tree when we got there. It was a lot of fun and a joy to watch our children serve."

To read about how another home-school cooperative is including service at EECM in their lessons, click here.

Breakfast at the Men's Shelter

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

Let’s face it -- college kids often get a bad rap, especially when it comes to their “hours of operation.” We often assume that those wild youngsters are up partying until the wee hours of the morning and never roll out of bed before noon on the weekends. And for some that is indisputably true. But I try not paint the whole species with the same brush. And here’s why.

Last week, half a dozen students from Carnegie Mellon University showed up at out Men’s Emergency Shelter at 6 AM to serve breakfast to the men there...on a Saturday. Dinner at the shelter is always handled by groups of volunteers, but breakfast is usually more along the lines of cereal and fruit. It’s much easier to find groups willing to arrive with food at 7pm than 7am! But every now and again, a dedicated group of people makes that extra effort to provide a special hot breakfast for our homeless clients.

Like the members of Lamda Sigma, a Sophomore honor society at CMU dedicated to service. The group on Saturday was led by Carolina Velez, the bubbly and energetic president of the organization. Carolina’s ties to EECM go back a number of years to when she was a high school student at the Ellis School. The school promotes civic service by cooking and providing dinner at the Men’s Shelter every month and Carolina was usually among the group that came.

When she arrived at college and got involved with Lambda Sigma, she remembered the positive experience she had with EECM and encouraged the members to choose serving the men at the shelter for a service project. The group made vats of pancake batter, which they cooked on cookie sheets on the stove, scrambled eggs, and sausage. They also handed out apples and granola treats for the men to take with them and eat during the day. It was a feast.

So how did our community-minded college students enjoy their morning at the shelter? Carolina reports that “some of the people we went with were a bit freaked out at first because of the hard reality that is a men’s shelter, but once they realized how nice everyone was....they got over it. And now whenever I talk about it, everyone cannot stop gushing about what a wonderful time they had and how much they want to go back!”

We’ll be happy to have them.

Super Betty

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

Today’s “Meet the Volunteer” post focuses on Betty, one of EECM’s Hunger Programs Superheroes. Betty faithfully volunteers two mornings a week, and when she’s there, she is a whirlwind of activity.

She usually arrives by 8am (earlier than many people are willing to roll out of bed!) and helps prepare bags of groceries for the Food Pantry. When clients come to the Pantry in the afternoon, they receive two large paper grocery sacks full of staples – pasta, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, canned soup, etc. (And in case you didn’t notice, those are indeed the same items that we list as our Food of the Month items). Thanks to Betty, those bags are packed and waiting well in advance of the afternoon Pantry rush.

Betty also helps unload the daily delivery from Whole Foods, sorts the donations and helps to set up the “extras room” which houses the fresh bread and produce and some of the miscellaneous donations that we receive (like taco sauce or the pretzel chips you see in the picture).

One of the other roles Betty fills for us is that of Food Pantry receptionist. She cheerfully answers the Pantry telephone that tends to ring incessantly. This may seem like a small thing but it is a lifesaver. The staff in our Hunger Programs are really busy and fielding the calls – many of which are general inquiries – could easily consume their entire day. So we’re grateful that Betty takes charge of that task!

Betty’s road to “EECM Volunteer” included a stop at “EECM Client” – she is a graduate of our PennFree transitional housing program. Betty is a bi-polar recovering addict and her road to recovery has been bumpy and not without its setbacks. But she is currently celebrating 18 months clean and welcomes the opportunity to volunteer with EECM as a way of giving back to the organization that has supported her along the way.

Keep your eyes out for EECM’s Winter Newsletter which features an article about Betty!

The EECM Classroom

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

Meet Isaiah, Eliza, Elena, Chloe, Nathaniel and Evan. They’re part of a group of students who came by the Food Pantry last Friday to deliver the results of a Food Drive they had done for school. Their teachers had decided to go beyond simply collecting the food – they wanted the kids to get a better feel for why they were doing the food drive and where it was going. So they brought their students to EECM to deliver their collection in person. They’re planning to come to EECM regularly to volunteer, bring food, and generally experience the ministry.

Now you may be thinking to yourself: how are they able to arrange so many volunteer opportunities? Won’t the principal have something to say about weekly field trips? Well, the unique thing about this particular group of students is that they are all part of a home-school cooperative. The teachers who brought them are their parents, and they have made the decision to incorporate service learning into their curriculum for their kids.

This particular cooperative is actually one of several that have started volunteering with EECM. Keep an eye out for more stories about service learning at EECM in the months to come.

The Suit Story

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

I’d like to share a story that Wil, our fabulous homeless shelter volunteer, shared with me.

Wil is going into his tenth month of volunteering at the shelter and his friends and family have taken note. They now bring him donations of clothing or small personal items, rather than taking these things to Goodwill. Many nights, Wil arrives at the shelter with men’s shirts or a pair of shoes or a jacket. So often, in fact, that he is frequently greeted by eager inquiries – “did you bring me anything tonight?”

One day a few months ago, he had been given several mens suits by a buddy who runs a dry cleaner. After a certain period of time goes by, clothing that never gets picked up is disposed of, and today it happened to be suits.

When Wil arrived at the shelter, he was quickly approached by one of the monitors who asked if by any chance Wil had any “nicer” clothing with him that day. One of the men in the shelter was in a bind. His best friend had been shot just a few days before and the family of the friend was picking him up the next day to attend the funeral and spend time with them. However, the man had nothing to wear that was appropriate for a funeral. He desperately wanted to go but was ashamed to appear in his ragged street clothes.

One of the suits fit perfectly.

I tend not to make sweeping statements about fate, destiny, or the nature of God’s providence. But let me just say…that is pretty cool.

The Renaissance Volunteer

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

One Fall day in 2006, our Volunteer Coordinator, Emily, received a phone call from a man looking to donate some of his time to EECM. This is not unusual – it happens almost daily. What was unusual about this particular would-be volunteer was the time commitment he was looking to make. The majority of our volunteers spend a couple hours at EECM – driving a specific Meals on Wheels route, interviewing clients at the Food Pantry, or serving a meal in the Soup Kitchen. Tim said that when he came to volunteer with EECM, he wanted to stay for most of the day.

Fabulous! said Emily. What day do you think would work with your schedule?

Tim replied: How about Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays?

Once she picked her jaw up off the floor, Emily readily agreed to the plan and Tim joined the EECM volunteer team. Three days a week, he volunteers in our hunger programs, usually arriving by 7:45 AM and staying until after the Soup Kitchen closes at 1 PM.

During those five hours, he is a jack of all trades. The renaissance man of EECM. Emily keeps a flurry of volunteer files and schedules and classifies her volunteers by type (Bob = Meals on Wheels Driver). When Tim appears on a list or schedule it is as: Tim = The-Super-Flexible-Volunteer, because he is truly beyond classification!

Tim starts out by helping to prepare the 150 or more meals for the daily Meals on Wheels delivery, assembling sandwiches, ladling soup, and packaging it all together. If we’re short a pair of hands, he helps unload and sort the huge daily delivery of bakery items and produce that comes in from Whole Foods Market.

After that, he sometimes drives a Meals on Wheels route, delivering nutritious home-cooked meals to the elderly and homebound. If he’s not out on Meals on Wheels, he helps to prepare and serve the noonday meal in EECM’s Soup Kitchen. Tim says he likes this part of his day best – interacting with the clients as they go through the Soup Kitchen line. He’s become friendly with the regulars and enjoys greeting them as they arrive, or sitting down to eat with them if the lunch rush is slowing.

We love all of our volunteers, but Tim is unique because he has chosen to make his volunteer work with EECM such a high priority in his life. When chatting with fellow volunteers or clients, small talk often includes mention of employment – “What do you do when you’re not here?” When Tim gets asked the obligatory “so what do you do?” question, he responds with a smile and one word: This.