Seventy-seven-year-old, Rose* lives alone in her home in Allentown. After several years of struggling to manage daily activities, like cooking on her own, the Lehigh County Department of Aging stepped in to help her. The social worker from the Aging Department was able to set up Rose with various services, including Meals on Wheels.
Rose suffers from rheumatoid arthritis in both hands, fibromyalgia and acute back pain. These physical ailments make moving around difficult for her. Rose just couldn’t cook for herself any longer. She is so grateful to be receiving Meals on Wheels now. “I love it very much. I don’t know what I would do without you guys”. She was thrilled to learn that she could also receive a diabetic friendly meal to help her manage her Type 2 diabetes. She shares that “the meals are all very nutritional and delicious”.
In November 2020, Rose faced another hardship, battling COVID-19. Her history of respiratory issues made fighting the virus much more difficult. However, she was determined not to let it take her down and so fought through and overcame the virus.
When asked what her favorite part of Meals on Wheels is, Rose quickly responds, “the daily visits from the volunteers. They are awesome people; very lovable and good hearted”. Being homebound, especially during the pandemic, Rose appreciates being able to receive a warm meal each day and having a friendly visitor to go along with it!
*Client name has been changed to protect identity.