Meals on Wheels and More feeds seniors in the community

The Blaine Senior Center has seen unexpected growth in the number of participants at their daily community meals. From 2014 to 2018, the number of seniors attending the meals increased by more than 50 percent, from 8,900 to 14,100.

Meals and Wheels and More program director Julie Meyers said that Blaine is a model. She would love to see the community meals become just as popular at other senior centers in the area.

Whatcom County’s Meals on Wheels and More is a twofold program, with meals delivered to home-bound seniors and community meals provided to seniors at nine different sites around the county, including the Blaine Senior Center.

“Our program is dedicated to preventing hunger and isolation in seniors throughout Whatcom County,” Meyers said. “The senior community meals provide not only nutritious lunch but also a time for seniors to come and meet with their friends and have vital social interaction. For our meals on wheels, sometimes the drivers are the only people that the seniors see on a regular basis, so it’s really important.”

Melody Philips has been cooking for Meals on Wheels and More for the past nine years. On average, she cooks 75 meals per day – most for the community meal at the Blaine Senior Center, and a handful to be delivered to home-bound seniors.

When she first started, Philips served 15 to 20 people per day for lunch. Now, she’s serving 60 people per day. Birthday lunches (held once a month) have an especially high turnout of 80, according to Philips.

“I absolutely love my job,” Philips said. “I love the seniors. We all have grandparents. We’ve got to take care of those people. I have never in my life had a job where I feel appreciated the way I do here.”

She wanted to give a shout-out to her volunteers, many of them seniors themselves, who help immensely with the preparation process.

Volunteer Jennifer McDonald delivers meals to seniors in Blaine and Birch Bay every Wednesday as a Meals on Wheels driver for the Blaine Senior Center. A recent retiree, McDonald started volunteering to deliver hot meals in January.

“It’s fun to see all the people every week,” McDonald said. “You can’t spend too much time there, but a smile and a kind word goes a long way.”

McDonald delivers about seven meals per day. Like Philips, McDonald finds the people she encounters to be very appreciative. She plans to volunteer to deliver meals as long as she can.

For 2019 alone, 80,000 of the community meals are expected to be served at the nine Whatcom County sites, and 90,000 meals on wheels are expected to be delivered to home-bound seniors.

Meyers said community meals are donation-based for folks over 60 years old, which is the senior center’s target population. Any family members or friends under 60 are required to pay $7.

Misconceptions about Meals on Wheels and More exist, she said. There are no income restrictions to receive home-delivered meals or to attend the community meals at the senior centers.

And although the program does receive federal funding, it covers only about one-third of all costs. Meyers said the rest of the money comes from fundraising, donations, sponsorships and grants.

A registered dietician, Meyers has been directing Meals on Wheels and More for the past eight years. Her favorite part of the program is knowing she’s helping to meet a need in the community by feeding local seniors.

“We receive phone calls and letters about how important the program is to the folks who are receiving it, or from a client’s daughter or son who, after the client has passed away, is really thankful that the program was there for their loved one when they needed it,” Meyers said.

Meals on Wheels and More will be participating in Senior Day in the Park, a resources fair, on August 14 at Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A suggested donation of $5 is recommended. There will be raffle prizes and live music from Blaine Senior Center’s own Rod’s Bluegrass Band.