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At Access Care Partners, our Home Delivered Meals program is about far more than nutrition—it’s about safety, compassion, and human connection. Every day, our drivers are the eyes and ears of our community, serving as a vital link between older adults and the support systems that help them remain safe and independent at home.
When a medical emergency unfolded at Mont Marie Rehabilitation and Health Center, one of our own was there to act. Brenda, a dedicated Home Delivered Meals driver, arrived just as a resident suffered a heart attack. A witness described the scene: “A group of us had just returned from an activity and saw something was wrong. Brenda was right in the middle of it all—calm, composed, and in control. She gently said, ‘It’s okay; I’m trained for this.’ We see her every day, but to see her in that moment was truly remarkable. She probably saved that man’s life.” Brenda’s swift response reminds us that our team members do much more than deliver meals.
According to Nutrition Director Mary Wetzel, Brenda’s experience isn’t unusual. “We hear these stories fairly often,” she said. “Very early in my tenure, one of our drivers found a man on the floor. He had diabetes, and his sugar levels had gotten dangerously low. The driver found him just in time and was able to get him the insulin he needed.” For many consumers, the meals they receive are not just nourishment but a lifeline.
Mary recalled another instance when she herself discovered a man who had fallen during the night. “He’d been on the floor for hours, calling for help. He had a personal emergency response unit but didn’t have it on him. He’d gotten up in the middle of the night to get a snack and tripped. He was so afraid and so alone—and so grateful when I found him. You’d think a neighbor would have heard him, but no one had heard him in the eight hours he’d lay there.”
These situations happen more often than anyone would like. “Every day, our drivers go out knowing today could be the day they find someone who needs help,” Mary said. “We have a protocol to never leave a meal if we don’t see the person. If the driver doesn’t get a response, they contact the Case Manager, who performs a wellness check and, if needed, calls the police for a safety check.” As Mary put it, “It really is a team effort. It takes a village to keep people
safe at home.”
Our drivers’ vigilance often makes the difference between a minor scare and a major tragedy. Stories like Brenda’s—and the many others shared by Mary Wetzel—show what it truly means to serve our community. Our drivers are not only delivering nourishment; they are delivering safety, compassion, and dignity to the people we serve every day.
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