The COVID-19 Challenge . . . Safely Delivering Meals

Meals-on-Wheels of New Rochelle has been challenged during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We had to figure out how we could ensure the safety of our clients and our volunteers but continue the daily deliveries to our many senior homebound clients. Our current clients and the many new clients brought on needed help more than ever during this difficult time. We did not want to put our clients or volunteers at risk. So, we asked our clients to place a bag or a table outside their door so the volunteers would be able to transfer the meals from the hospital trays into the bag and leave the meals without coming in direct contact with the clients. Safety for both was critical. Although our clients miss the daily interaction, the friendly smiles and the chats they had with their volunteers and the volunteers miss being able to interact with their clients, checking to make sure they are ok, this change has protected both clients and volunteers and allowed us to continue this needed service during this very difficult time.

Volunteer Mike Altamirano safely delivering meals to one of his clients.

Conversations with Our Clients...

Rosalie Faraone 

When I called and introduced myself to Rosalie and asked how she was doing, she said that she has never been through anything like the corona virus before. She said she is tired of staring at the 4 walls and now that the weather is nice she is sitting outside enjoying the sun as much as possible. She said she misses her girlfriends, they used to get together often, but with the current situation she is spending a lot more time talking to her friends on the phone.
Rosalie has two sons, one living in North Carolina and the other in Mount Kisco. Both are fine, and she is thankful that no one in her family has been affected by the virus. Rosalie has lived in New Rochelle since 1992. Previously she lived in Mt. Kisco, then Carmel, for 17 years. In Carmel she worked as a part time secretary so she could be home when her sons returned from school.  She and the family moved to New Rochelle when her husband was working construction in Brooklyn and the commute from Carmel became too much.
Rosalie has macular degeneration, so she is no longer able to cook. She said she LOVES
Meals-on-Wheels, “the meals are very good -- my compliments to the chefs.” The Volunteers are very friendly, very nice and she enjoys talking to them. One volunteer (she can't remember her name) lives in the same complex and has offered to help her out when needed. She started to get MOW deliveries when her eyesight began to deteriorate and she is very thankful. 
She has been watching a lot more TV since Covid 19 started. She can't read anymore, but occasionally listens to audio books. She talks on the phone a lot more to keep in touch with friends and family.
She hopes this is all over soon! She has a mask, but prefers to not venture out --
“it's a little scary”.
Interview via phone by Linda Andrews May, 2020

Conversations with Our Clients...

Mrs. Lorraine Triplet

I introduced myself to Lorraine Triplet on the phone and we started talking about Covid19  immediately. When asked if she has  experienced  anything like the virus in her life she responded "No, never, never, never." She is concerned about people's health but also very much about the financial strain that people are now feeling. She mentioned she was recently talking to her daughter about the situation and had many memories she shared with her about the Great Depression. Mrs.  Triplet was born in 1928 and raised in New Rochelle, she said she has seen a lot of changes  take place, she remembers the trolley cars running thru downtown. She remembers during the depression their rent was $25.00, they used oil lamps and they got their water from a well. "Everyone knew and helped each other, everyone left their doors unlocked." She felt fortunate during the depression that her father had a big garden and raised a lot of vegetables, they also had beautiful grape vines and they all helped to take care of the garden. She remembers everyone experienced hard times and there was dried milk and horse meat being sold in the store.
When we talked about the other viruses and flus she has experienced in her life she said her mother's brother died from the Spanish Flu. She also remembers clearly when Roosevelt's funeral train passed thru New Rochelle. The train was bringing Roosevelt's body from Washington to New York and she remembers her whole family went to the train station to watch the train pass and pay their respects (the train slowed down as it passed thru each station). She also added she had tuberculosis when she was five but not a very bad case.
"Stay on the porch and let the sun hit you" was the cure she said laughing.
Mrs. Triplet is very grateful now that she can stay safely in her apartment with the help of Meals-on-Wheels "I don't know what I would do with out you." She feels safe leaving a bag on her door for the volunteer to fill with her daily meal. She misses seeing the volunteers each day, she especially misses a group that delivered to her every week from the ARC of Westchester. (This is an agency that supports teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities). She loved when this group came each week because some of the girls loved to greet her with a big hug. Mrs. Triplet said "I looked forward to their visit and would say come give me my hug, we all had a nice laugh." Mrs. Triplet mentioned the importance that her religion has in her life "I think all of the volunteers will be rewarded for the good work that they are doing" she said.
As we were saying goodbye and I thanked Mrs. Triplet for her time, she said "If you ever deliver in my building, pop your head in when this is over and I can meet who I was talking to.”

Interview via phone by Maureen Palotta, May, 2020

Lorraine (R) with volunteer Ann Marie Peterson (L)

Conversations with Our Clients . . .

mrs. Ersaline Callender

Ersaline, a resident of new Rochelle for fifty-five years grew up in Mamaroneck.

Her career was a major part of her life. Ersaline taught elementary school in Rochester for three years. She returned to Mamaroneck, married and settled in New Rochelle. Ersaline was a teacher and guidance counselor in the White Plains Schools for forty years.

Ersaline said that she has never experienced anything like Covid-19 in her life. She did not get sick through any of the FLU seasons so she considers herself lucky --- very, very lucky!!!.

"Thank God for the Meals on Wheels program," she said. The food is nourishing "not gourmet" but good. The only thing she does not care for is the "meat loaf".

Ersaline found Meals-on-Wheels of New Rochelle after being in Rehab from surgery. She said she called around, looking for possible restaurant food deliveries but that didn't work out. She finally came upon Meals-on-Wheels of New Rochelle and found their program to be excellent, absolutely no problems. The volunteers are great people, very friendly and need to be APPLAUDED for their service.

She has developed a number of really special relationships — Pat Houlihan, Dan Long and his family, a retired fireman, couples and children of the volunteers.  Yes — she really enjoys their visits —each and every one!

Like everyone today, she finds herself talking on the phone to family and friends more often. She also enjoys spending time exercising, reading and playing bridge on her computer.

Interview via phone by Linda Andrews     April 28, 2020