“I’m a walker,” says Heather. “I can just walk around the city and that’s entertainment enough for me.” It’s one of the things Heather enjoys most about going out on meal deliveries. At least twice a month, she walks from her apartment to one of the older adult centers we partner with on the Lower East Side. From there, she collects the meals and her route sheet. Then, she’s walking again, tracing streets that are quickly becoming familiar. “It’s a great way to see different parts of the city, especially areas I wouldn’t have necessarily gone to.” 

Heather is relatively new to the city. While living in Florida, she also delivered for a meals on wheels program, but in a car, not on foot. Heather has found that, even across the country, people are the same, especially older people who struggle to leave home and often feel isolated. They just want to feel connected to the wider community. 

Heather can understand that. When she first moved to the city, she didn’t know anyone. But she’s tried to put herself out there, working at a local community garden and volunteering with Citymeals. She tries to take the same route and deliver meals to the same people, wanting to see familiar faces and get to know her new neighbors better. “They like to see a familiar face too,” she says. 

Heather has built rapport with some of the recipients on her route, like Joyce. “The first time we met, she asked me to come back,” Heather says, “and I promised I would.” Now, when she knocks on Joyce’s door, Heather takes time to stop and chat with her, asking Joyce about her day and how her knee has been feeling. “She’s just lovely and sweet.”

Just knowing that someone is being fed, that they’re having a basic need met. That’s the best part of it.

For Heather, volunteering is about building those connections. However, there’s also an appeal to doing something so physical and seeing immediate results. “Just knowing that someone is being fed, that they’re having a basic need met. That’s the best part of it,” she says. “But connecting with the people is a bonus.”