Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee volunteers add extra care into delivery

After missing a connecting flight back from a vacation to North Carolina, Ronald and Marcia Owens got off a plane at 1 a.m. on July 18 in Tampa instead of the originally scheduled Sarasota. 

They drove home to Lakewood Ranch, managed a few hours sleep and pulled into the Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee parking lot only 10 minutes late for their volunteer shift, both exhausted and smiling. 

“We try — other than if we’re going to be away for a week or two — to plan our appointments around delivering meals,” Marcia said. “I’m not going to schedule a hair or doctor’s appointment for 11 o’clock on a Tuesday.”

Ronald just celebrated his 80th birthday a few weeks ago, and Marcia will join him the first week in August. The couple said they wanted to redefine their retirement, so they’ve been making meal deliveries for over 13 years now. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Marcia is a former registered nurse, and Ronald was a city planner. Their former careers shine through when volunteering. On July 18, the couple allowed the East County Observer to ride along with them on deliveries.

During the shift, Marcia, the caregiver, asked how everyone was feeling and cracked a few jokes. Ronald, the natural organizer, checked the clipboard full of addresses and kept the deliveries running on time.

But Ronald provides leeway in the schedule. He said deliveries take anywhere from 45 minutes up to two hours depending on the conversations that day.

“We just went to deliver meals, and then we found that after you’ve been delivering the meals to people for a period of time, you build a relationship, and you almost become like part of their family,” Ronald said. “Many times, they don’t have anybody else to talk to, so you get to learn their complaints and their aches and their ills and when things are good and when they are bad. That kind of surprised us after it happened.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Owens load the back of their Subaru with boxes of meals, coolers full of milk and loaves of bread. They also fill in as needed when Meals on Wheels is short volunteers. The Owens have delivered to some of the same clients for up to five years.  

The couple has been delivering meals to Geraldine Lewis for three years. After receiving her meals, Lewis showed the Owens a letter she’d received but didn’t quite understand. The Owens couldn’t solve her problem, but they took time to read the letter and were able to guide Lewis in the right direction.

“They go away, but they always come back,” Lewis said, referring to the Owens' recent vacation. “They’re two angels.”

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

There’s a level of trust that builds over time. 

“Years ago, we had a blind lady on our route, and she’d have us fill out checks for utilities,” Marcia said. 

While on another stop in the parking lot of an apartment complex, a homeless man approached the Owens after watching them take boxes out of their hatchback. A sticker on their SUV also identifies them as Meals on Wheels volunteers. 

The man asked if they had more food. Without extra meals to offer, Ronald gave him a door hanger with a telephone number to call. Volunteering for Meals on Wheels Plus encompasses more than merely delivering food, so does the organization itself. 

“We also operate the Food Bank of Manatee, and we distribute 3.2 million pounds of food into our community,” CEO Maribeth Phillips said. “We operate a half-day dining program for seniors over 60 who just want to get out of the house, who might live alone, for socialization and meeting new friends.”

Phillips marvels at the kind of connections that are made. She told the story of two widows who happened to sit next to each other during a meal and realized their husbands used to work together in New York City. 

The nonprofit also offers an adult day center, and services aren’t limited to low-income individuals. The Owens have delivered meals in Lakewood Ranch. 

“It might be the elderly man whose wife did all the cooking, and she has passed away or is in a nursing home,” Marcia said. “It’s not because of not having the money to feed yourself, it’s the ability to coordinate your meals.” 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

But for the Owens’ regular inner city routes, money plays a part. Zellie Saintinord is 86 years old and has been receiving meals for 10 years. 

“Everything is different. My generation is gone,” he said. “Everything is very expensive.” 

Saintinord is a creature of habit. He takes solitary walks every day regardless of the weather or how he’s feeling. He said it ensures his body stays limber. And once a week, when he hears the rap on his door and Marcia shouting, “Meals,” it assures him he’s cared for.

“Jesus says everyone has to love one another,” Saintinord said. “The Owens are nice people.”