My First Experience as a Deliverer – Pt. 1

Despite Westchester County having among the highest median household incomes in the country, 4 out of 10 households are living in poverty or paycheck-to-paycheck: A surprising and alarming statistic, one that prompted me to seek out where to volunteer in my area. I discovered Meals On Wheels White Plains after stumbling across their (very well-produced) podcast, Doors, hosted by Sarah Lawrence student and intern Syd Walter. I was unexpectedly quite moved by it, and soon found myself on my first delivery.

On a sweltering August morning, I pulled into the White Plains High School senior parking lot. After being greeted warmly by Executive Director Jeremy Kasman, I was paired with a lovely woman, Susan, who had been making deliveries for a few months. I was admittedly strangely nervous, but she instantly put me at ease before this unfamiliar experience, promising to come to the door of each delivery with me. Clutching the print-out of my route and hoping I wouldn’t throw Susan off her rhythm due to my inexperience, we set off to deliver to ten people.

The first client, despite having the TV on, did not answer the door. After several minutes of knocking, waiting, calling, and knocking some more, we ended up leaving the meals at the door, a practice not often encouraged in the summertime, as the temperature that day was 91 degrees. In an unairconditioned apartment complex, food spoils quickly. Unfortunately, (and, I’m told, unusually) there were several other clients we were not able to get in contact with, resulting in us taking their meals back to the office. I was told this happens sometimes, due to doctor’s appointments, mobility issues, poor hearing, and a number of other uncontrollable circumstances.

The most affecting moment of my deliveries that day occurred at a residence I will call “Building B”, an apartment complex undergoing significant renovations. Some residents were moved into a hotel until their apartments were back in decent condition: Mr. A was one of these residents. After unsuccessfully attempting to deliver Mr. A’s meals at this hotel, I was told by the concierge that he had checked out. Susan, having been to his original apartment, drove us there next.

His apartment at Building B was strewn with exposed piping and plumbing. Drywall was left in chunks on the floor and overflowed from canvas laundry carts in the middle of the hallway. In order to access Mr. A’s apartment, one had to climb a small flight of stairs, ducking under a ladder propped against the wall and avoiding tangling their legs in tubing. I was shocked that these conditions were deemed adequate enough to have him moved from the safety and comfort of the hotel, and back into an apartment actively undergoing extremely disruptive “renovations.” On top of this, an actually-quite-cheerful Mr. A told us that the AC was out, and he was given an ineffective portable unit in its stead. While I am glad to have actually found his current residence in order to deliver his meals, this particular stop really reinforced the need for programs like Meals-On-Wheels. While already enduring the stresses of repeatedly moving residences, a brutal summer heat wave, and having to essentially navigate an obstacle course to make it to your apartment, no one should have to add food insecurity to the list…

Come back next week for Part 2; in the meantime, consider donating or volunteering. Get involved to make a difference.

Harsh Winter Disrupts Senior Meal Deliveries

For programs that bring meals to the homebound and that offer senior citizens lunch at senior centers, spring can’t come too soon.

“This has just been much more challenging than other winters have been,” said Susanna Sussman, executive director of Meals on Wheels of White Plains.

Amid the string of storms that began Christmas weekend and continued through January, programs made extra meals to deliver so those who are homebound have something to eat when a blizzard stops deliveries.

When the weather is too bad, the program is called off for the day. That was the case several times this winter for meal delivery programs throughout the region.

“There have been times when it’s just not possible,” Sussman said.

Patricia Gallagher, 87, has been volunteering for Meals on Wheels Programs and Services of Rockland for more than 12 years — delivering food to people often younger than her. The past months were particularly tough, the New City resident said.

“It definitely is the worst winter,” Gallagher said. “It really is.”

Gallagher, who had her hip replaced, had to skip her run on two occasions.

“The snow is one thing, but the ice, that really stops me,” she said. “I don’t want to fall.”

She delivers one hot meal and one cold one to 12 homes in Nanuet once a week.

It was also a long, cold winter for Libby Deutsch.

“I’m a little bored because I’m not a stay-at-home person,” the 84-year-old Monsey woman said. “I like to do my own thing and get in my own car.”

Unfortunately, her car battery recently died. It’s also cost her a lot of money to get her driveway shoveled. To keep busy, she knits hats and scarves, paints flowers on canes and cleans her house. Her daughter visits her every weekend.

Deutsch, a retired school bus driver who is recovering from cancer, has meals delivered by a Meals on Wheels volunteer five days a week.

“They’ve been wonderful except for just two days when it was really bad,” said Deutsch, a retired school bus driver. “That was OK because no one could get out. I have a mountain of snow in front of my house.”