Today’s guest blogger is Heather C. Johnson, Product Manager for The Financial Edge and FundWare with Blackbaud. Blackbaud is a regular supporter of East Cooper Meals on Wheels, with nearly 20 employees rotating the responsibility of driving two of our meal delivery routes each Friday. On a recent Tuesday, the company supported our operation by sending 28 employees to pack and deliver meals, and Heather was part of that experience.

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.