News and Events
President’s Point
June 1, 2013
May was an amazing month for our signature program Meals on Wheels. Not only did we serve our four millionth meal, we also are on track to recover all of our lost Meals on Wheels funding due to sequestration. By the end of June, and after A Night in Paris we will have made up the budget deficit without a single client having to miss a meal. We thank everyone who stepped up to the proverbial plate to make this happen!
The month of May also included a very pointed message from Meals on Wheels volunteer coordinator Donna Walkup that further emphasizes the critical value of home delivered meals. According to Donna, when Elder Care volunteers Randy Van Syoc and Allen Ransome arrived at the home of client Ms. Thelma, they could not get her to answer the door. The house appeared dark and there was no response to knocks. Randy and Allen looked around for a sign of any activity. Fortunately, they were able to hear a faint voice calling to them and, much to their surprise, spotted Ms. Thelma on the living room floor. They immediately called 911 and within minutes the police and an ambulance arrived. All doors were locked, but the police found an unlocked window and were able to enter the home.
The volunteers notified our office and stayed on the scene until Ms. Thelma was stabilized and taken to the hospital. Upon returning to our office, Randy and Allen indicated that, based on their observations of her symptoms, it appeared that Ms. Thelma had had a stroke. Because of their relationship with Ms. Thelma and familiarity with her situation, they took the extra step and may very well have saved her life. We have again proven that our volunteers deliver more than a just hot and nutritious meal to home-bound seniors.
This is just one of the many wonderful stories we hear from our volunteers and one of the many reasons why Elder Care Services is so thankful to have them to look after our clients.
With warm regards,
Mark
Contact me @
baldinom@ecsbigbend.org
(850) 245-5930