When Gavin Newsom issued an executive order last month for all individuals, especially those over the age of 60, to stay home for their own safety it set in motion the need for MOW Diablo Region to rethink how we would continue providing services to the seniors who depend on us. Requests for deliveries quickly climbed and the importance of keeping our clients safe became paramount. Enter our frontline responders.

The Meals on Wheels Team Shifts Gears Seamlessly

The executive order created challenges for MOW Diablo Region’s Nutrition Services Division. Many of our volunteers are over 60 and felt they needed to temporarily stop delivering meals. In addition, we have increased service by over 25%! Suddenly several routes were without drivers and more people needed meals to remain safely at home Also, MOW Diablo Region needed to purchase masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and other equipment to make delivery safer. The Nutrition Services Team did not miss a beat and worked tirelessly to find substitutes, often making deliveries themselves when none could be found, procuring and distributing the supplies to volunteers, and creating routes to meet the increased demand for meals. One month later, they continue to sign up new clients and coordinate deliveries of meals ensuring that no homebound senior in our program goes hungry. If asked, this team would say that they’re just doing their job. We say hunger doesn’t stop and neither does this rock star team!

CCC Transportation Authority Link Drivers Keep the

Wheels Turning

As of April 6th, we began delivering seven frozen meals rather than a daily hot meal. We understood that the volume of meals delivered in a day would create yet another challenge, but Contra Costa County Transportation Authority’s County Connection bus service came to the rescue. Buses that were sitting idle are now transporting delivery volunteers across Contra Costa County and coolers filled with a week’s worth of frozen meals five days a week. They are driven by 16 Bus drivers who readily volunteered for Meals on Wheels duty. On a recent ride along with bus driver Gonzalo Garcia, it was apparent that he is taking his new role seriously. He happily loaded his bus with 14 heavy coolers and made sure to stand outside of the bus at every stop and watch while the volunteer took the meals to the doors. He waited for the seniors to open their doors so that he could give a quick wave from the sidewalk. “I feel good that I am able to help these elderly people. We can’t forget about them.”

C.C. Cafe Doors are Shuttered for Now But Meals Haven't

Gone Away

Our C.C. Cafès are a social lifeline for many seniors throughout the County and often provide the only hot meal that they will eat in a day. Social distancing has temporarily suspended sit-down meals at all six cafés. C.C. Café Specialist, Bonnie Paulson and her team of café managers went into action to fill the gap. While the cafès are temporarily shuttered, café guests and new participants can now receive a seven-day meal pack that includes a loaf of bread and milk. Orders are taken via phone and coordinated carefully for each site – a monumental task to say the least. For those that are mobile, drive-up sites for pick-up are conveniently located in the cafè parking lots and where volunteer drivers can also pick them up for delivery to homebound seniors. The social aspect that seniors enjoy might be temporarily suspended, but the nutritional meals continue to be provided with a generous helping of care and devotion.

Rain, Shine, or Life-Threatening Pandemic - Our Volunteers Answer the Call

Despite the risk to their own health many of our volunteers have kept coming. They continue to deliver meals (without going inside) and contribute to an extensive network of check-ins (by phone) so that the 1,200 seniors they serve can remain in their homes. They are adhering to new stricter protocols that limit their personal contact with clients—interaction that’s often the essence of their service. They don masks, gloves and carry heavier packages loaded with seven meals instead of one or two. Our awesome volunteers continue to shine their light on seniors in need and the community in the darkness of uncertainty and fear.

Last month life as we know it was upended. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic a team of champions has risen up to guarantee that the comfort and care of our elderly clients continues with minimal disruption. Creating order from chaos – that’s what heroes do.

The City of Concord has joined forces with Meals on Wheels Diablo Region and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District to create a program, called Concord Cares, that will meet the needs of Concord’s vulnerable senior population during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Under the program, seniors who are not already clients of MOW Diablo Region can still receive meals prepared by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s central kitchen and delivered by volunteers daily. In addition to meal delivery, Concord Cares offers Friendly Helpers who go grocery shopping, run errands, or even pick up a prescription.

When the City of Concord reached out to MOW Diablo Region, Executive Director, Caitlin Sly, she thought it just made sense. “MOW Diablo Region has been delivering meals for over 50 years,” says Sly. "We have the experience and protocols in place to deliver. In addition, we already have a Friendly Visitor program, so a Friendly Helper is just an extension of the services we already provide.”

“I call Meals on Wheels my air traffic control at this point,” Concord Mayor Tim McGallian said. “They help us meet the needs of Concord’s elderly by putting together the routes, so that the food goes out to the people that our volunteers are matched up with.”

MOW Diablo Region staff members Casey Claibourne and Eileen Stephens worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help get this new program off the ground and running in a very short time. “I have spoken to adult children of some of our local City of Concord senior residents. I’ve even received requests as far as London, UK. The messages I’ve received are of tremendous gratitude and praise with one woman calling us earthbound angels,” says Stephens.

Eileen Stephens has been taking calls about the program from concerned family members from as far away as London, UK.

Claiborne adds, “On this project I have dealt mostly with the volunteers. The sense I get is they are very proud and honored to be supporting the elderly community. They help them by delivering groceries and of course a healthy lunch. The daily lunch provided by the Unified School District’s kitchen is getting rave reviews. They kitchen does a great job! They even made a special meal for Easter Sunday.”

As of April 6 ^th, 70 Concord residents had signed up for food through a website called Neighbor Express. The program will continue to operate until the shelter in place order expires.

Concord seniors or their families can reach Neighbor Express at neighborexpress.org or 925-338-1441.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, fear and uncertainty to everyone. For isolated seniors it has compounded issues they face on a daily basis – loneliness, anxiety and health risks. More mobile seniors have been forced to shelter in place for their own safety—left to wonder how they will get basic supplies. MOW Diablo Region called on the community to help and they have responded in a BIG way.

It has been uplifting to see how community heroes from every corner of the county and beyond have been coming together with in-kind contributions during this crisis to help seniors in need. Gifts of personal hygiene supplies and food have been pouring in for elderly clients. Masks and gloves are now available for the volunteers and staff who serve them.

Past and new donors have also demonstrated their generosity to help us meet the continuing rising costs of supporting a growing client base and administrative expenses.

We have also experienced an influx of new volunteers who have come forward to work on the frontlines delivering meals and passing out bags of food at the cafés. With the suspension of the popular birthday bag program, volunteer Linda Kircher has filled the need to acknowledge lonely seniors on their birthdays by calling them to wish them Happy Birthday.

This virus will not defeat human kindness. To those of you who have made a difference, we humbly and wholeheartedly thank you. Your selflessness ensures that your most vulnerable neighbors can remain in their homes safe, secure and cared for.

Without question, seniors remain some of the most vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic. For MOW Diablo Region and their volunteers, the need to wear masks was apparent from the very onset of the health crisis. With medical grade masks in short supply and slated for health care workers a big question loomed—how would we be able to bring services to seniors without endangering them?

The answer came in short order when Jane Wallace, Theresa Burke, Julia Holland, Mary Byrne and Tanya Ahrendt took out their sewing machines and created hundreds of homemade masks that not only provide an extra barrier of support but are downright beautiful as well! Polka dots, animal prints, paisleys and classic plaid patterns abound. Some masks even include special flannel interior lining for comfort.

Our mask making heroines recognized the immediate need to keep our frontline workers, volunteers, and ultimately the seniors we serve healthy and safe. We really appreciate their amazing efforts and talent. As an added bonus, we are all looking just a little more fashionable these days thanks to these special ladies.

We at MOW Diablo Region are overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the requests that have been pouring in to join our volunteer program. Thank you to everyone who recognizes the ongoing and growing need of at risk seniors. With temporary changes to our meal delivery processes and suspensions of in-home visits by friendly visitors, the opportunities have become more limited for now. We are currently reviewing volunteer opportunities that work with social distancing protocols and safer at home recommendations. Our incredible team of volunteer coordinators will continue to process applications and are working hard to contact everyone in a timely manner. Please bear with us as we navigate this “new normal” while keeping the high level of service that our senior clients deserve.

New volunteer William has been on the front lines helping at the café take away locations. Hear why he finds volunteering with MOW Diablo Region rewarding.

Not a fan of yogurt? Maybe you can't go a day without it? Either way you'll want to check out this month's Health & Wellness blog for five ways to use yogurt to enhance everyday recipes. It's tangy and tempting!

UPDATE : Our Health & Wellness exercise classes continue to be suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions, but we have some exercise videos to tide you over and keep you limber and calm during these trying times. Click here to view . Stay safe, healthy and positive!

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Meals on Wheels Diablo Region

1300 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek, CA, 94596

United States

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