Ted and Vera have been married over 50 years and life has been good.
They have two grown sons, and five grandchildren. About two years
ago, Ted had a stroke which forces them to stay close to home. Vera
just turned 80 and can no longer prepare meals other than simple
breakfasts and lunches. Meals on Wheels have been providing nutritious
dinners for the couple for the last two years. "We like our
home and our neighbours. " Vera points out, "Meals on
Wheels gives us the freedom to stay in our house as long as we are
able and continue to be surrounded by all our memories. "
Three years ago Martin's wife Doris passed away suddenly. The couple
has lived in Langley all their lives and enjoyed a traditional marriage.
He went to work. She stayed at home and raised the kids. When Doris
died, life changed for Martin. He needed help around the house particularly
with meals. He couldn't eat soup and frozen dinners from the grocery
store every day, so he called Meals on Wheels. Today he gets a fresh,
home-cooked meal and a visit from David, a Meals on Wheels volunteer.
"I get good food delivered so I don't have to worry about all
that grocery shopping and cooking." He adds, "Besides,
I'm a lousy cook!"
 When
Martha was released from the hospital after her car accident, she
knew she would be in a wheelchair the rest of her life. "Life
goes on," she said from her home in Aldergrove. "I knew
I could work from my house, but it would take a lot longer to get
things done. I didn't have the time to get the groceries I needed
and then I'd have to cook too." Martha heard about Meals on
Wheels from her neighbor, whose father used Meals on Wheels many
years ago. "I signed up, and for a few dollars a day I get
a tasty meal and a visit too."
Lorne is a 70 year old retired fireman. He's lived alone on a small
hobby farm since 1990. When he had a kidney removed because of cancer,
it really slowed him down. It took a full two months for him to
recover completely. His daughters helped as much as they could each
week, but it was impossible for them to be with him every day. While
he was recovering, Langley Meals on Wheels made sure Lorne had healthy
nutritious meals delivered to his home. "If it wasn't for Meals
on Wheels I would have needed a day care worker to come into my
house to help me out. Now that I am back on my feet, life is just
about back to normal. Thanks Meals on Wheels. You helped make my
recovery a bit easier."
Robert has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for just over three
years. He is a retired accountant. "My parents used Meals on
Wheels, just before they moved into a full care facility. I saw
the great service they provided to seniors and others who needed
help, so when I retired I wanted to do something for the community,
so I volunteered. Today I help out for a couple of hours a day delivering
meals and meeting people. It gets me out of the house and I know
I am giving back to the community. Meals on Wheels have a great
staff that really cares about the people they serve. I recommend
Meals on Wheels to anyone who needs help getting dinners because
they are too old, or disabled, or laid up due to illness, surgery
or whatever…"
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