Meals on Wheels
Ivana Grandic
When looking back at my childhood, I relish the times I had with my family, specifically with my mother and great-aunt. Being raised in a single-mother household, I witnessed my mother’s tireless efforts of continuously working in the hospital to make sure everything was taken care of back home. While she did work long hours, she always ensured she would make time for me every night. Whether this consisted of doing homework, cooking dinner, or watching TV together, my mother was right by my side. Alongside my mother, was my great-aunt who would look after me while my mom was working. She would take me to school, feed me, and do any fun activity I wanted for the day. These memories are something I will always hold dear to my heart and cherish as I get older.
A couple of years ago, my great-aunt was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, which changed my life completely. When we got the news, my mother and I immediately packed our bags and moved in with her. Not only did she have support from her medical aids, but she got to feel the love and support of her family. It was a critical time for me given that I was only eight years old, but I remembered the transition I underwent; living in a high-rise upper-class neighborhood to now public housing in the Lower East Side. As I reflect on these drastic changes in circumstances, I realize how it was a necessity in shaping who I am today and the values I hold.
This experience is what stimulated my interest in doing a volunteer project that aids those who live in public housing. The community service project I completed through the New York Cares Organization is the “Deliver Meals to Older Adults” which I conducted on December 2nd, 2022. I completed a two-hour shift, from 9 am-11 am, where I assisted an organization called Meals on Wheels. This organization provides free meals to the elderly and delivers them due to their old age or health complications. It was located on East 93rd street and First Avenue, in the Isaacs Public Housing Community. Within the community square, there is a Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center- Senior Center which is where I completed all my tasks.
As soon as I walked through the Senior Center doors, I was in awe of the joy that filled the room. Elderly women and men were wearing Santa Claus hats, sitting by a fake Christmas tree as they were talking about old memories. It reminded me of my great-aunt because she was always the neighborhood confidant and enjoyed everyone's company. They all waved at me hello and continued on with their conversation but in that split second, I pictured an image of my great-aunt sitting with them and laughing. I knew she was with me in spirit and that it was the right place to be for volunteering.
I was approached by a supervisor named AnnMarie who due to my hand injury, allowed me to work in the kitchen instead of making deliveries. I was overwhelmed with gratitude because she was so understanding and I deeply appreciated her for checking in on me throughout my shift. She began explaining to me how Meals on Wheels held a special place in her heart because she was close to her elder relatives before they passed. She would always make meals for them and she wanted to find a way to continue to cherish that memory she had, which is why she got involved with Meals on Wheels. It was really inspiring to hear how someone’s way to cope with grief was through giving back to the community.
AnnMarie introduced me to a lovely woman named Shervonte, who was going to be guiding me in the kitchen. She led me to carts filled with bagged lunches that were all mixed together with various food items. Instead of it being bunched together, she wanted to make single-bagged lunches where every individual received one of each item. The carts were filled with fresh fruits, juices, milk, peanut butter, and jelly sandwiches, and yogurt. It was amazing to see how Meals on Wheels took pride in providing fresh meals every day and ensuring there were proper levels of organization for effective distribution.
My task was to create these single-bagged lunches, making 25 of them per cart and continuing the cycle until it was ready to be picked up by delivery workers. As I was dividing the yogurts between the milk, I began noticing Shervonte was doing the work with me. She told me, “I’ll keep you company. Everyone needs a helping hand” and it was such a heart-warming moment for me. As we continued to bag the lunches, we discussed our past, dreams, and aspirations, in which she told me how she grew up in public housing. We understood the impact it served to aid communities of color who don’t have access to the same resources as the majority do. Every time we finished a cart, we would nod to each other and unspokenly understood that a new group of 25 people was going to be fed that day.
As we continued to pack these lunches, more people began to arrive, which was so gratifying to observe. It was really rewarding to feel that I provided the help that was needed to ensure the elderly would get their meals. While it may not have been such a grand task, I understood the value of how the little aspects of a project matter and can make such a difference in how an overall experience is executed. Each food item I packed was carefully placed and refrigerated so the elderly could have a fresh meal to enjoy. I kept reflecting on my great-aunt and how she used to pack lunches for me as a child and it was an honor to be able to come full circle for the people in her community.
While completing the task, I felt a tremendous connection to the people I was working with because I saw a reflection of myself and my family. Being able to hear AnnMarie and Shervonte’s stories reminded me of the reason why I love doing volunteer work because it humbles you. It teaches you to remain grateful, while also reflecting on the hardest times of your life and how they lead you to where you are today. When my great-aunt was sick, I remembered cooking her meals with the medical aid and the bright smile that came on her face when I bought them for her. It made me reflect on what a fortunate position I am in to not worry about the price of a meal or if I was going to be able to retrieve it from anywhere. I am thankful I had discussions with AnnMarie and Shervonte because they taught me that regardless of how much or how little money you have, home is in the hands of the people you love.
I did not face any challenges in this volunteer experience because the male volunteers were willing to assist me with lifting carts so I didn’t injure my hand. Everything else about the volunteer work was feasible to complete, but also enjoyable. Another aspect I learned from the organization is to ensure the people you work with feel their workplace is their second home. With the Christmas season coming up, AnnMarie thought it would create a more festive and pleasant experience by playing Christmas music. This was extremely fun for me because Christmas songs are a big tradition in my family. Even with just the implementation of music, I learned the value of enjoying the present and disconnecting from my phone because real-life connections and memories are what hold true significance. When envisioning a way to empower people such as AnnMarie and Shervonte, I believe that continuously volunteering and gathering more support would mean the world to them. They thrive off of community engagement and ensuring we can give back to the public in a multitude of ways. Being able to have people contribute to the work is what gives them the courage to do more every day. After finals week, I plan on returning to the community center to provide any help I can, encouraging my friends to do the same.
As I ponder on the importance of poverty and how it is an issue that is often overlooked, I begin to realize this is due to globalization, politics, and the economy. This can be evaluated through Steger’s examination of the political dimension of globalization. The volunteer work demonstrated to me that private-sector associations have the upper hand and with politics comes corruption. Witnessing the elderly needing outside organizations to provide food, showed me that our distribution of wealth is not equal and those who say they have good intentions, may have ulterior motives. When examining this imbalance, Steger states, “pronouncing the rise of a ‘borderless world,’ hyperglobalizers seek to convince the public that globalization inevitably involves the decline of bounded territory as a meaningful concept for understanding political and social change,” (Steger, 61). This idea of a free market world provides a misconception to the public because they believe all profits are distributed evenly. In reality, major corporations use lobbyists to sway political figures to focus on deregulations and tax write-offs. These situations take away resources from the poor, by investing all the money into corporations and political figures' pockets. According to Steger, many critics of political globalization state it is “an abstract idealism that fails to engage current political developments on the level of public policy” (Steger, 68). This reveals how those against political globalization understand the corruption that is within the business and political realm. Some political figures never fully address public policy issues, such as improving poverty because they are more concerned about making a profit from capitalism and campaign endorsements. By having this understanding of political corruption and the imbalance of redistribution of wealth, I realized why poverty exists so heavily in society. It is critical for organizations like Meals on Wheels to exist because the world thrives off of capitalism.
The importance of working with the community correlates with the Globalization and Economics module discussed in our previous class discussions. In the book, Masters of the Universe, written by Daniel Stedman Jones, he touches upon the “legacy of financial deregulation and wholly inappropriate importation of free markets into the provision of public services such as health care provision, education, and housing” (Jones, 1). This demonstrates how Jones recognizes the shift from a more regulated market to a free one, removing the importance of other resources to survive. Since it was rarely profitable to provide exceptional services to the poor, a lot of wealthy people decided not to aid in assisting lower socioeconomic classes. Jones continues to state, “The deregulation of the financial markets stripped away the safeguards that had progressively been put in place since the New Deal in the United States…”(Jones, 340). This reveals how prior to a free market system, there was more government intervention which stimulated a fairer economy. When deregulation was put into place, the wealthy took over the masses, leaving very little for the poor to thrive off of.
Ultimately, I am thankful for the opportunity because it taught me to practice gratitude no matter where I end up in life. Meals on Wheels was able to give me a sense of my childhood back and truly cherish those memories with my great-aunt’s legacy. I aspire to continue to lend a helping hand whenever necessary to ensure underrepresented communities never feel forgotten. One of my goals in life is to run for Congress to make sure new legislation is being written to protect the poor. If it were not for the help of the admirable supervisors and the dedication of the organization, I would not fully grasp the true meaning of support and doing right by your community. I hope one day I will make my family and community proud by showing not only my desire to bridge the divide between the wealthy and poor but to be an advocate for the less fortunate.
References
Steger, M. (2020). Globalization: A very short introduction, Oxford University Press.
Jones, D. S. (2014). Masters of the Universe: Hayek, Friedman, and the birth of neoliberal politics, Princeton University Press.