Dateline: January 31, 2008

The best job in town

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Hoppy Eason doesn’t get a check for the work he does, but he believes the hours he puts in every week are well worth his time.

Eason is one of several volunteers for the Meals On Wheels program operated by the Donley County Senior Citizens Center. Along with two paid cooks and the salaried director of the center, they provide one hot meal a day – Monday through Friday – to between 35 and 40 residents of Clarendon.

Together they served 6,296 meals to folks who are homebound, shut in, or just have trouble getting around. Each of those meals costs about $7.03, and the program’s income comes nowhere near covering that cost. Another 40 people per day eat at the Senior Citizens Center.

The service was more than $22,000 in the red at the end of its last fiscal year. But, like the center, Meals On Wheels cannot be measured on the ledger sheet alone. You have to consider the human factor.

Eason began volunteering about two years ago. It became a way for the recent retiree to get to know his neighbors. But more than getting to know the locals, Eason formed lasting friendships and began to care deeply for those who counted on him to bring their one hot meal every Thursday.

“This is a joy to get to meet these people,” Eason said. “This is my payment. I’ve probably got the highest paid job in town.”

The cooks at the Senior Citizens Center show up about 7:30 a.m. to start preparing the day’s meal. Volunteers begin showing up by 9:00, and by about 10:45 the mini-van is loaded and ready to roll.

Eason’s sidekick is 27-year-old Derek Shields – the program’s youngest volunteer. Together the seemingly unlikely duo makes the rounds every Thursday while other volunteers are lined up to deliver the other four days of the week.

Shields said Eason recruited him about a year ago.

“He told me, ‘It’s always good to do something good for others,’” Shields said. “It’s really fun. You get to meet people you wouldn’t normally see out.”

But Eason says delivering meals and getting to know folks is only part of the job.

“It’s very important to check on these people because sometimes you’re the only person that comes that day,” he said. “I’m always really concerned about the ladies that can’t get around.”

Each visit is unique in its own way. One person spends his time watching the RFD channel and updates Eason on the cattle prices. Another keeps him informed on her latest sewing projects, and one stop requires special attention to a pet cat before the meal can be delivered.

The people they serve greet them with a smile and genuinely appreciate what their neighbors are doing for them.

People generally like the food, which has to meet federal nutritional guidelines. Last Thursday, the menu consisted of roast beef with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, chocolate cake, a roll, and a new item – fried green beans.

Munching on the new treat with a smile on her face, Joan Kidd praised the service that she and her husband, Bob, rely on.

“They are absolutely wonderful,” Kidd said. “I couldn’t do without them, and we sure don’t need to lose our center.”

Frankie McKinney also worries about the program’s finances.

“Everybody is as sweet as they can be,” McKinney says of the volunteers that come to his house. “They sure need some help though. I just wish I had some money I could give them, but I don’t. We need everybody to get behind them.”

There is no charge for the meal, but the suggested donation for a home delivered meal is the same as the meals at the Senior Citizens Center: $3 for folks age 60 and up and $5.50 for the kids under 60.

Eason said some people give their money to the deliverer each day, some pay the center by the month, and some just can’t pay.

Center Director Mary Shields has been on the job since October after a 12-year stint at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch. She says the program receives more than $47,000 in federal funds from the Area Agency on Aging, and donations and meal payments bring in another $40,000.

Fundraisers, renting the center, and $5 per person annual dues help bring the total income to $96,285 in fiscal year 2007. Expenses, however, exceeded $118,000.

Despite the financial situation, the people behind Meals On Wheels are not pulling back from their mission. Instead, they are focused on broadening their impact. They plan to start delivering to folks in Howardwick in February.

Getting on the delivery list is relatively easy. Just give the Senior Citizens Center a call. A form must be filled out that is mostly for dietary guidelines, but they don’t have a policy of not serving anyone.

“We probably wouldn’t turn anyone away,” Mrs. Shields said. “We just might not get reimbursed for them.”

Mrs. Shields has outlined a plan to trim expenses by about $8,600 this fiscal year, but Eason says the program’s future depends on donations on either a monthly or yearly basis. He’s also been busy distributing forms encouraging people to commit any amount – large or small – to the center.

And there is always a need for volunteers.

“It would help so much if we could get some folks to volunteer just a couple of hours a day,” Eason said.

As Hoppy and Derek would tell you, it’s the best job in town.

For more information on how you can help the Meals On Wheels program or the Donley County Senior Citizens Center, call 874-2665.