TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR SENIORS
Our funding comes from a variety of sources; including grants, client contributions, support from federal and state programs, fundraising, and community donations. Meals on Wheels of Haywood County would not be able to continue providing our services without the support of our community partners. This year especially, with food costs being higher than we've seen in the last decade, we are asking our community members and organizations to think of the seniors who invested in their future. We are asking our community to recognize the value in these individuals, and give back to the generations that gave so much.
With donations like yours, we are able to help people like Jane and Jim.
Jane was a school teacher in Haywood County for her entire professional life, and often went above the call of duty for her students. Jane loved teaching, and truly believed she was investing in the future of her community, but noticed her eyesight starting to worsen while trying to read the whiteboard. At 65, Jane chose to retire and spend quality time with her husband, Jim. He had retired the year previously from working for Western Carolina University, and was spending his days enjoying the golf course with his friends.
After five years of retirement, Jim was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and Jane became his sole caretaker. As his health steadily declined, Jane did her best to manage his care. She helped take him to appointments, administer his medications, maintained their home, prepared healthy meals for them both, and supported his daily activities. One day, Jane had a hard time seeing the curb while getting the mail, lost her balance, and fell. She broke her hip, and needed to go to the hospital then a rehabilitation facility. While in the hospital, she arranged for a nurse to check in on Jim and help him with medications, bathing, etc. but she was not be able to prepare meals for Jim. Jane reached out to Meals on Wheels, and knew that Jim's nutrition was in good hands while she recovered.
With donations like yours, we can help people like Mary.
Mark and Mary lived in Haywood County their entire lives. Mark was a well-respected police officer, and Mary was a homemaker. Finally, at the age of 67, Mark decided to retire and spend quality time with Mary. After 20 years of retirement, Mark unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. Mary, now 87, was alone. She and Mark chose not to have children, they had no surviving family, and most of their friends were in different states. Additionally, Mary's eyesight was poor and her legs were extremely weak. She could not see well enough to drive, and could not stand for much longer than a couple minutes without the aid of a walker. Mary was very scared, and only had a couple of canned goods left in her cupboard. She did not know what to do, so she called the pastor at her church. He reached out to Meals on Wheels, and Mary began receiving home-delivered meals the next week.
With the introduction of Meals on Wheels, Mary was able to make new friends with her volunteers, get connected with additional resources for assistance, and feel at ease knowing she had a fresh meal being delivered each day. This greatly improved Mary's overall nutrition, which in turn, improved the weakness in her legs.
With donations like yours, we can change the future for Haywood County's seniors like Jane, Jim, and Mary. Whether you can help pay for one meal or one year of meals, every little bit helps Meals on Wheels feed more of our neighbors.