When Paul T.'s wife passed away suddenly in 2017, life looked different to him in every possible way; he and his wife, Linda, had been together since middle school, and one of them barely made a move without the other nearby. Loneliness became a fact of life, and it was compounded when both of Paul and Linda's adult sons passed away within a few years after their mother's death.
"I was down in the dumps, and I didn't know how to cook anyway, so I'd get chicken strips from the convenience store and that was it," Paul says.
Paul doesn't remember when or how he learned about Meals on Wheels; he surmises a friend may have connected him during the COVID pandemic. But he says once he started receiving a lunch every day, "my world turned around."
"The food is so good, but it's not even really about that," Paul says, "It's about the people, and it's about feeling safe and feeling like there is someone to talk to."
Driver is his only contact
Paul, who lives alone in a mobile-home community in Des Moines, has formed a close relationship with WesleyLife Meals on Wheels team member Pam (pictured with Paul above), who delivers his lunch every weekday between 11:30 and 12.
Most days, Pam is the only person Paul sees; he depends on and enjoys his devoted dog for company, but human companionship is infrequent.
"I see my daughter-in-law about once a week, but usually not for very long, and my grandson lives in Missouri and he's busy living his life," Paul says. "Pam is the one I really talk to about things. She knows about my family and I know about her family. I feel like she's a friend."
"She makes me still feel like a person"
Pam also helps Paul order from the Meals on Wheels menu; he's especially partial to liver and onions and usually orders an extra serving when it's offered. On a recent day, he was counting on that entree but had mixed up the days of the week; Pam showed him the menu and pointed out that day's option.
"I don't know why I even worry about it; I don't think I've had a bad meal yet," he says. "I take what Pam brings and I'm glad to have it. I don't know if they understand how much something like this means to a person like me."
Paul says if not for his Meals on Wheels deliveries, "life would look a whole lot different."
"I guess I'd only eat chicken strips so my health wouldn't be too good, but I also wouldn't have much to look forward to," he says. "When you're old like me and on a fixed income, most people don't have too much interest in you. I look forward to talking to Pam because she makes me still feel like a person."
If someone you know is having trouble shopping for or preparing meals, WesleyLife Meals on Wheels may be able to help. Call Pam at (515) 699-3243 or email her; she can help you determine if meal delivery is a good option. And if you're able, donate to assist with meal costs; as little as $10 will more than pay for a hot meal for an older adult or military veteran in Central Iowa.
