Last week I was fortunate to be able to visit East Cooper Meals On Wheels in Mt. Pleasant, SC. The program was hosting a volunteer event with the local Subaru dealership to celebrate its $35,000 MOWAA-Subaru “Share The Love” grant, so I headed to Lowcountry to attend.

Working in the Development office at MOWAA in Alexandria, VA, I don’t get too many opportunities to visit Meals On Wheels programs outside of the DC Metro area. I knew the trip to East Cooper would be special and I was excited to see first-hand how a program in an area unfamiliar to me operates.

I arrived at East Cooper Meals On Wheels at around 7:45 a.m. and was immediately put to work adding milk to some of the 30 or so full-sized coolers lined up on long tables in the prep room. By 8:15 a.m., the space was buzzing with warm conversation between East Cooper’s usual crew of Thursday volunteers and the visiting staff from the local Subaru dealership. In just over a half an hour, we all worked together to pack and organize over 300 fresh, hot and nutritious meals.

Once all of the coolers were loaded I was introduced to Ginny—my lovely, energetic co-volunteer and tour guide for the day. As we weaved through neighborhoods in Mt. Pleasant on our 16-client delivery route, Ginny told me that she has been a Thursday volunteer for the past 3 years. Clients come and go, but she treats them all like members of her extended family.

Ginny has a story for everyone on her route. One woman makes beautiful sweetgrass baskets. One always has family news to share. Another has a beautiful bird that makes terrible but funny screeching noises, and so on. Every lady we visited was told how pretty she looked that day. The few men on our route were told they were looking well. We only spent a few minutes in each house, but Ginny made every last person smile.

The scene of one our last deliveries put the entire day in perspective. Turning onto a bumpy dirt road behind a small development of trailers and houses, Ginny explained the situation of the elderly couple we were about to visit. For years, the two had lived happily in their modest but comfortable trailer home on a small, marsh-front piece of land. Now, the man suffers from cancer and his wife is his caretaker. He can't eat regular meals because of his condition, but East Cooper Meals On Wheels delivers to his wife so she doesn’t have to worry about cooking while caring for her husband.

Ginny and I walked up the steps to the trailer and knocked. I took in the view from the porch while we waited. The front yard was a bit overgrown, but the couple had a few wonderfully colorful and tall flower arrangements. Just beyond the yard there was nothing but high grass and marshland as far as I could see—absolutely picturesque. No one answered. Ginny figured they must have made the trip to see his doctor. We placed the meal in the cooler that was left on the porch and headed back to Ginny's car.

As we pulled away I couldn’t help thinking that the stunning view of the marsh was a fitting backdrop for the equally beautiful, simple and natural human interaction that Ginny and I were taking part in. I’m not really the sentimental or spiritual type, but experiencing that incredible physical landscape somehow heightened my sense of the emotional and human connection that Meals On Wheels creates.

We finished up our route for the day and headed back to East Cooper Meals On Wheels. Before I knew it I was home in Washington, DC. It's a shame I didn't meet the couple who live on the marsh, but delivering that meal deepened my appreciation for what this cause means not only to those who receive meals but also to those who deliver them.

As part of an initiative to teach the community more about the ill-effects of senior hunger, I was given the opportunity to visit with East Cooper Meals on Wheels for Mayors for Meals Day. I was touched by the compassion that the East Cooper Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers have for their recipients, and I was also impressed to learn that local businesses and restaurants provide Meals on Wheels with nutritious meals. After observing the volunteers pack meals and package the coolers for delivery, I had the privilege of riding along with Jan and Julie – two long-serving friends that care more for their recipients than I ever could have imagined. These two loving ladies not only know the dietary needs of each recipient, but also know each recipient’s story and make an effort to treat everyone like they are family. Caring for those that cannot care for themselves and giving back to our community are traditions that everyone should hold close, and East Cooper Meals on Wheels exemplifies this. I feel very fortunate to have had this experience and I know that East Cooper Meals on Wheels will continue to selflessly better the lives of those that are unable to serve themselves.

During our 2012 Product Management kick off meeting, the Blackbaud Product Managers were able to participate in a team building volunteer exercise for East Cooper Meals on Wheels. I believe I speak for all of my colleagues in Product Management when I say that the experience was overwhelming. There were several things about this experience which surprised me and caused me to reflect. First, I was surprised (as were others) to see the portions of the meals we were providing to the recipients. Meals that in some cases were the only sustenance the recipient would receive the entire day, but that we also found would meet a fairly substantial amount of their nutritional needs. It truly makes one think about the excess to which many of us have become accustomed to with regard to food.

The second thing that surprised me was that no socioeconomic category is immune from needing this type of service. Our particular route included several upscale areas on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. But, we never know when sickness or other conditions could put any of us in need of such a valuable service.

Finally, I was once again reminded of the importance of family. Due to varying factors, for some, we were the only contact with society that many of them would have that day. Many of them need these meals because, not only are they unable to prepare them for themselves, they have no one close by to prepare meals for them. Having watched my grandmother care for my great grandmother and then my mother for her, it was incredibly moving to think that there are people in our world who do not have such a situation.

The service that East Cooper Meals on Wheels provides is invaluable in so many ways. Ironically, it seems that the nutrition, while so very important, is only a small part of the service they provide to their clients. They provide a social experience and care for those who might not otherwise receive these things. From a personal perspective, the next time my large, loud family gets together for a meal, I will remember this experience. I will push away from the table a little sooner, be a little more thankful for our health and even though there are many of them, and they are indeed very loud, I will be even more thankful I have them in my life.

Last week, RiverTowne Country Club provided 300 meals featuring meatloaf, gravy, potatoes, corn and cookies.  This is the first time that they have participated, and we're glad to have them on board as a partner in our fight to end senior hunger!

Thank you RiverTowne Country Club!

So we’ve been asked a simple question: Why support East Cooper Meals on Wheels?  The simple answer is “why not”. But you need a few more details, don’t you? Let’s start with the Subaru “Share the Love” event.  Let’s mix in a well-run organization at East Cooper Meals on Wheels, with good people filling a need. Let’s add in our desire to give back to our community in as many places as possible. Let’s stir with a rising appreciation for what is done by volunteers on a daily basis, and the warm feeling that what we get to do is meaningful. Top it off with a smile – yours and theirs – and know that today is better for what we’ve done. Crews Subaru of Charleston supports East Cooper Meals on Wheels? Yes we do – and why not!

We are East Cooper Meals on Wheels, which served approximately 136,000 meals in 2011.

We are East Cooper Meals on Wheels, which does not charge for meals or operate a waiting list.

We are East Cooper Meals Wheels, which relied on 295 volunteers and over 29,000 hours of their time in 2011 to fulfill our mission.

These things make us uniquely East Cooper Meals on Wheels, but we also celebrate the strength that comes from sharing a common bond with all of our fellow MOWAA members—We are Meals on Wheels, so no senior goes hungry™. Tell us what makes you part of the Meals on Wheels family.

Many of our recipients are feeling the impact of being in between, too.  Their family members visiting from far away will soon be heading home.  They may be stretching their pennies for a few more days until their Social Security checks arrive.  Some of them may be struggling to feed the young grandchildren they are babysitting until school starts again.

This week, we sent out a 12 pound bag of groceries to each of our recipients to address the challenges of being in between at this time of year.  Each bag includes peanut buttery and jelly, canned vegetables, fruit, a pre-cooked canned ham and other staples to supplement the daily nutrition our recipients receive through each meal we deliver.  The bag is just one more way that we're working to end senior hunger in our community.

Now there's a chance for you to help, too!  You have until December 31 to return the favor to Banfield Charitable Trust and our four legged friends.  Just "like" the Banfield Charitable Trust Facebook page and one pound of pet food will be donated to feed our furry friends across America.

Tell us about the ways in which your own furry friends brighten your life!

In the past five years, our meal delivery has increased by 79% and our recipient roster has increased by 55%. We now deliver an average of 350 meals each day, Monday through Friday, with 455 additional meals delivered on Fridays for the weekend. Our 295 volunteers give over 29,000 hours of their time annually.

As a team, we always put our recipients first. Making sure that our recipients receive daily nutrition keeps them healthy, and it allows them to continue living independently in their own homes. Hearing about how grateful each recipient is warms our hearts, and responding to each request for assistance keeps us extremely busy.

We need more people to hear our story, and we want to ensure that it is easy for people to access our services. We want to create ways for people to engage with us 24/7, so that no matter what time of day they are inspired to learn more, volunteer or give, they can connect with East Cooper Meals on Wheels.

With the help of Halfstache Graphic & Web Design , we’ve accomplished that by giving our website some much needed TLC. We hope you’ll visit often to see us “In the News,” to learn about upcoming events and to engage with us here on the blog.

We may be a small nonprofit, but we’re impacting the East Cooper community in a big way. We will deliver over 136,000 meals this year, and we do this because “We are Meals on Wheels, so no senior goes hungry™.” Tell us how you’re giving others a little TLC as part of the Meals on Wheels family!