Suzanne Gregory has been behind the wheel of a program that delivers food to people in need for nearly 15 years. As the driving coordinator, she organizes and plans the five routes for more than 50 volunteer drivers who take meals to clients across the Maple Grove and Osseo area five days a week. For some, the C.R.O.S.S. (Christians Reaching Out in Social Services) Meals on Wheels delivery may provide their only nutritious meal for the day. But this program has proven to be much more than just a food service.
“They develop relationships and friendships that go beyond just bringing the food,” says Gregory, who has been a volunteer driver since 1996 in addition to her part-time driving coordinator position. “For some of our clients, that driver may be the only person they will see or communicate with.”
Many of the clients are disabled, elderly and cannot get access to good food on a regular basis. This program allows seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible.
The drivers get an opportunity to drop by and deliver meals, but many choose to stay and visit with their clients, and their compassion doesn’t stop there. Gregory says that over the years, drivers have went above and beyond, inviting clients over for Thanksgiving dinner at their homes, changing light bulbs and lending a hand however they can.
Harold “Harry” Beier has been depending on Meals on Wheels since 1997 when his wife passed away. “Someone told me about the program because I can’t cook,” Beier, 89, says. “When I was married, I did the washing and bought the groceries, and she did the cooking.”
A sign that reads “Free hugs” hangs from the door of his Rose Arbor Assisted Living apartment, a blatant indication of his friendly nature for the drivers who stop by. “He is the kind of client where many drivers will stop last so they can sit and visit with him,” says Stephanie Lehman, C.R.O.S.S. Meals on Wheels program coordinator.
From maintaining his close relationship with the Osseo High School football and basketball teams to attending every University of Minnesota Gopher football home game in the past 65 years, the self-proclaimed “sports nut” is always on the go. But he still looks forward to his daily meal delivery.
“I sit out in front of my door, and there’s another chair for one of the guys or gals who come by,” says Beier, who recently went as far as to help deliver food on a route with driver Kathy White. “We chat about sports and so on, and it’s just nice to have that one-on-one connection.”
Steve Sachs is a business owner that has been volunteering his time as a driver once a month for more than 5 years, which has allowed him to build relationships with some of the clients. “My mother always volunteered for the same program when I was growing up,” says Sachs, who brings his 10-year-old daughter along for the ride.
Lynde's Restaurant is the new caterer for the program, but Lehman says the Osseo eatery has extended its hand further than that.
“When (Lynde’s) first came aboard, we were just hoping to provide good, nutritious meals to our clients at a price we could afford,” Lehman says. “They do that, but they also offered to provide Christmas and Thanksgiving meals to the clients at no charge, so we can give them something special.”
The C.R.O.S.S. Meals on Wheels program has been delivering food to people in need across Northwest Hennepin County since LaVerne Klobucar started the program in 1977, but Lehman says there is still work to be done.
“We have a high population of seniors who don’t have the means to provide for themselves,” Lehman says. “When you look at the senior population and the projections over the next 10 years, they need help … for many people [on social security], the food aspect is the first that's compromised. We want to make sure that the people we serve are not hungry and not alone.”
&
Maple Grove Meals on Wheels is one of about 40 Meals on Wheels programs in the Twin Cities. They are always looking for volunteers and use cash donations to help subsidize meal costs for those who cannot afford the meals on their current income. For less than $120, they can feed a client a nutritious meal five days a week for an entire month. To find out how to volunteer or for more information about the C.R.O.S.S. Meals on Wheels program, please call Stephanie Lehman at 763.267.5182.
