Oceanside CA— Meals on Wheels San Diego County commemorated Veterans Day by making a special delivery to World War II Navy veteran and Oceanside resident, Ed Kruck. New president and CEO of Meals on Wheels San Diego County, Brent Wakefield, made the delivery of spaghetti and meatballs to Ed’s home and thanked him for his service.
Ed and his wife, Dottie signed up for Meals on Wheels in 2010. In 2013, Dottie, went to a nursing facility and later passed away. Ed continues to receive meals from Meals on Wheels San Diego County but it isn’t just the food he looks forward to. “It’s really nice to receive company,” said Ed. “It’s lonely during the week. The people that deliver are so polite and nice. They can’t come into the house anymore but we talk a little bit for a few minutes each time.”
Frequently, a Meals on Wheels San Diego County volunteer may be the only person their clients see all day, providing human contact and a safety net of compassion and conversation, particularly for those seniors living alone. Ed has his meals delivered every other day. “My daughter and my daughter in-law supply me with my supper meals so I don’t need delivery every day.” Ed’s daughter, Joyce Collins, will also stay with him every two weeks or so and spend the night to help him out. Ed counts himself as lucky to have family near by. His son, Ed Jr., who is also a veteran and served in Vietnam, lives about a mile and a half away.

CEO of Meals on Wheels San Diego County, Brent Wakefield said that about 50% of the people that receive meals are military veterans or spouses of veterans. “We have a lot of Korean War vets as clients and about 35% of our clients are over the age of 85 so it’s a pretty significant number.”
For 60 years, Meals on Wheels San Diego County has fought malnutrition and loneliness, two of the biggest threats to the well-being of home-bound seniors. They prepare the meals in a kitchen located on India St. in San Diego. From there the meals are loaded into vans that spread out across the county where volunteers pick them up for delivery in the community.

Since social distancing restrictions took effect, Meals on Wheels San Diego County has seen a 47% increase in the number of older adults receiving home-delivered meals and other services. In June 2020, Meals on Wheels San Diego County served 2,000 clients.
The need for social distancing has also cut many more older adults off from their family and support networks, making them vulnerable to the negative health effects of isolation. Although COVID-19 restrictions mean that volunteers can no longer enter homes during deliveries, they still chat with seniors outside from a safe distance for a few minutes while wearing a face mask and gloves.
The impact Meals on Wheels has on the seniors they serve goes far beyond the wholesome meals provided. Daily friendly contact provides important socialization for those who may be isolated with little or no connection to the outside world. Lives are often saved in the course of delivering meals when a person does not respond to a knock on the door, has fallen, or may have become ill. For 60 years, Meals on Wheels San Diego County has contributed to the overall well-being of seniors by providing regular nutrition and daily contact with a caring volunteer.
Learn more at www.meals-on-wheels.org or call 800.5.SENIOR.