45 for 45

For the 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month, we are honoring our clients and sharing their stories. So, next in our 45 for 45 series are Meals on Wheels San Antonio clients Charles and Cheryl!

Charles, 83, and Cheryl, 78, have been married for over 40 years and have lived in the home and neighborhood they love for 39 years! Both started receiving freshly prepared home-delivered meals in February 2022 and depend on the service for proper nourishment.

Charles has hand tremors that make cooking difficult, and Cheryl recently had a stroke and cannot drive. The meals they receive provide much-needed relief and nourishment. Charles says receiving the meals "is the best part of the day." Cheryl smiles, "Whoever thinks of the dishes, they know what they're doing."

With their home-delivered meals, both can focus on their health and recovery, and despite his hand tremors, Charles can continue to focus on his passion and create art. We're grateful to be part of Charle's and Cheryl's day and to help them stay independent and share their talents with the community. 

Thank you, Charles and Cheryl, for sharing your story! We're lucky to have them be part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio family!

For the 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month, we are honoring our clients and sharing their stories. So, the next person in our 45 for 45 series is Meals on Wheels San Antonio client Luis! 

Luis, 76 years old, is a veteran that served overseas in Korea for almost three years. He received a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal during his service. Luis has been receiving home-delivered meals since 2018, has lived in his home for 13 years, and loves the neighborhood.  

Luis has limited mobility and requires his walker for support. Because of the daily lunchtime meals Luis receives, he does not have to struggle to make his food. He thinks the "meals are just great!" and he enjoys the company our delivery drivers and volunteers bring during each delivery. 

Over the past few years, Luis has fallen multiple times while getting into his bathtub. Through Comfy Casas, a service that Meals on Wheels provides to ensure that clients' homes are safe and livable, and with funding from the Texas Veterans Commission, a functional walk-in shower was installed in Luis's bathroom, and the door frame was widened so his walker could fit through the door. 

Now, Luis can safely walk into his bathroom and shower without worrying about falling. Luis's daily life has improved thanks to the Meals on Wheels services he receives. 

Thank you, Luis, for sharing your story! We're lucky to have you as part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio family!

For the 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month, we are honoring our clients and sharing their stories. So, the next person in our 45 for 45 series is Meals on Wheels San Antonio client Michael! 

Michael, 71 years old, started receiving home-delivered meals in 2014 and has seen improvements in his health since then. Along with receiving meals, Michael also receives help from our support services. 

In April 2022, Michael was paired with his best friend, Poquito, from the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services through our AniMeals service. Michael says this was the perfect match. "Right when I saw him, I knew that was the dog for me." The two are inseparable, as Poquito doesn't leave Michael's side, and Michael sees Poquito as his emotional support animal. 

Michael continues receiving home-delivered meals and pet food through AniMeals and speaks to his Friendly Visitor, whom he talks to weekly over the phone. Michal's doctors say his health has significantly improved, and he attributes this to his meals, Friendly Visitor, and best friend, Poquito! Michael thanks Meals on Wheels for "helping me get Poquito! He's just what I needed and has been great to me." 

Thank you, Michael, for sharing your story! We're lucky to have him be part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio family. 

For the 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month, we are honoring our clients and sharing their stories. So, the next person in our 45 for 45 series is Meals on Wheels San Antonio client Mamie! 

Mamie, 80 years old, was her husband’s caretaker for the last six years of his life. After he passed, Mamie’s health steadily declined for two years. Before Mamie’s sister in Georgia called Meals on Wheels to get her meals, Mamie weighed 100 pounds and was too weak to cook for herself.   

Mamie received her first Meals on Wheels meal in May of 2022. After just two months of receiving nutritious meals, she felt like she had more energy to do the things that bring her joy.   

“You lose your independence, but you gain new independence. It’s a beautiful thing because I don’t have to worry.” 

Mamie became a monthly donor to Meals on Wheels a few months into receiving services. “I want to donate as long as possible because there may come a day when I can’t,” she said. “And even if I wasn’t getting the meal and knew about you and that you need donors, I would still do it. I agree with what you’re doing, and being part of you now is beautiful.” 

Thank you, Mamie! We’re lucky to have her be part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio family. 

In conjunction with National Volunteer Month, next in our 45 for 45 series is the Meals on Wheels San Antonio meal delivery volunteer Carole Linton!   

Carole has been volunteering for almost ten years and has "enjoyed every minute of it!" She learned about Meals on Wheels from her friend, attended one of our volunteer orientations, and was on board immediately. Carole has consistently delivered nourishing meals Monday through Friday! "The seniors I deliver tell me daily how much they appreciate what Meals on Wheels does for them." We appreciate all you do for our clients, Carole!

Her favorite part of volunteering is "getting to know the seniors, their families, caregivers, and even pets and neighbors!" She says, "I feel they give back to me as much as I give to them." We're thankful for all the time you give to help provide more than a meal to our older and disabled neighbors!

Thank you, Carole, for volunteering your time and being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels, the families, and the community we serve!

In conjunction with National Volunteer Month, next in our 45 for 45 series is the Meals on Wheels San Antonio meal delivery volunteer duo April and Raven Herron!  

April and Raven have been delivering with Meals on Wheels San Antonio since 2019! They're a staple on our volunteer team. We can count on them to help nourish our seniors as they regularly pick up volunteer delivery routes Monday through Friday. Some days, they will finish delivering, return, and take another route to deliver more meals to the seniors! Their favorite part of delivering is “giving back to individuals in need.”

April says they “have a passion to assist and give back to our community.” She goes on to say that “not having a grandmother growing up gives me a sense of connection. This is what I would do for her, and that's anything she would need me to do.” We can't thank them enough for all they do for our older and disabled neighbors.

Thank you, April and Raven, for volunteering your time and being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels, the families, and the community we serve!

In conjunction with National Volunteer Month, next in our 45 for 45 series is the Meals on Wheels San Antonio AniMeals volunteer group, Phi Kappa Theta Alamo Alumni Association (PKTAAA).

Aiming to give back to those in the community, PKTAAA reached out to Meals on Wheels San Antonio back in 2014 about volunteer opportunities. After hearing about AniMeals, our new service providing nutrition to the furry companions of our clients, the PKTAAA team jumped on board, and the rest is history! 

Since the beginning of AniMeals, PKTAAA has been right there volunteering to support our client’s pets. From assembling and delivering storage cabinets to coordinating caravans of vehicles and people to help deliver over 7,000 pounds (about the weight of an elephant) of pet food. They even built a pet food dispenser to make pet food packaging days more productive to help feed our clients' furry friends!

Thank you, Phi Kappa Theta Alamo Alumni Association, for volunteering your time and being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels, the families, and their pets in the community we serve!

In conjunction with National Volunteer Month, next in our 45 for 45 series is the Meals on Wheels San Antonio meal delivery volunteer duo Butch and Gena Parks! 

Butch and Gena have delivered more than a meal to our seniors since 2011!  They started their volunteer journey after "noticing how helpful it was when Gena's mother was receiving Meals on Wheels, so we decided to try it, and after 12 years, it is still a rewarding feeling." We couldn't agree more with Butch and Gena!

Their favorite part about delivering for Meals on Wheels is that it "gives us a chance to get out to meet new people and to deliver more than a meal to our new friends." We are lucky to have such amazing volunteers deliver meals to our seniors!

Thank you, Butch and Gena Parks, for volunteering your time and being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve!

The next person in our 45 for 45 series is Josh Reyna, Food Service Supervisor for Meals on Wheels San Antonio!  

Josh's work is crucial to a kitchen that produces over 7,000 meals per day! What started as a summer job in May 2010 led to learning from our Production Manager, Oscar Lucio, and becoming our Food Service Supervisor. As our Food Service Supervisor, Josh is one of the first to arrive every day at 3:30 a.m. to turn on the equipment and make the first meal batch. Knowing that we're providing a nutritious meal for the seniors has driven Josh to cook for Meals on Wheels San Antonio for 12 years and counting.  

Josh says his favorite part about working for Meals on Wheels is "coming to work knowing the meals we make and provide are going to those who need the meals." We couldn't agree more, and we're lucky to have Josh as part of our team!   

Thank you, Josh, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve. 

The next person in our 45 for 45 series is Jennifer Mendoza, Site Distribution Specialist for Meals on Wheels San Antonio! 

As Site Distribution Specialist, Jennifer packs the volunteer routes and stocks pickup sites with nutritious meals to ensure they're ready for volunteers to deliver. Jennifer also picks up routes when volunteers are unavailable to help make sure meals get out to seniors. She is always happy to deliver, as she loves to check in on all our clients!

Her favorite part of working for Meals on Wheels is "getting to interact with the seniors! I love to talk to them and hear the stories they tell."

With over 18 years of providing nourishment to our older and disabled neighbors for Meals on Wheels, we're happy to have Jennifer and her wisdom on our team!

Thank you, Jennifer, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve. 

The next person in our 45 for 45 series is Gina Menchaca, Client Gateway Specialist for Meals on Wheels San Antonio!

Since starting in 2013, Gina has come to work daily with extra energy and happiness that brightens everyone's day at Meals on Wheels! As a Gateway Specialist, Gina talks daily with our clients, answering their questions about support services and meal delivery and often bringing them comfort and a sense of relief by just listening when they need it most.

Gina says, "our seniors need all the help we can give them, especially now with the high inflation." Gina is always ready to help, especially for the seniors that helped pave the way!

Her favorite part of working for Meals on Wheels is "feeling satisfied with helping others in need because if I can make them feel happy, secure, and safe, then I've done my job." We are so happy to have Gina on the Meals on Wheels team!

Thank you, Gina, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve.

The tenth person in our 45 for 45 series is Christina Avena, Director of Alzheimer's Services at Meals on Wheels San Antonio's Grace Place Alzheimer's Services!

As the Director, Christina develops and grows Alzheimer’s services based on the community’s needs, oversees our adult day center and services, and keeps the staff inspired and ready to serve our clients. She is a fantastic motivator and mentor, and because of this, her team loves calling her "Mama Bear!"

Christina always says she "believes she is where she is supposed to be," and we couldn't agree more! Her favorite part of working at Meals on Wheels is working with the staff to "connect seniors with opportunities to make them happy and give them better days" and to "bring caregivers a sense of support and to build confidence." It's always a great day with Christina around, and we're thankful to have her as part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio team!

Thank you, Christina, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels, Grace Place Alzheimer's Services, and the families in the community we serve.

The ninth person in our 45 for 45 series is Nelson Finch, a former Member of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio Board of Trustees. Nelson served on the Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2008 and again from 2012 to 2018 and was a member of our Time to Deliver Capital Campaign Committee. Nelson retired as an Executive Vice President of Jefferson Bank, a community partner with a long history of making it possible to deliver more than a meal to seniors and disabled neighbors.

Most recently, Jefferson Bank supported our Time to Deliver Capital Campaign for the new Meals on Wheels San Antonio Campus of Grace in recognition of Nelson's leadership and commitment to the community. His guidance over the years has been crucial to the success of Meals on Wheels. Before the pandemic, Nelson always had a smile and a kind word for everyone whenever he visited the kitchen on Babcock, and staff would light up when they saw him. Because of his commitment to the staff at Meals on Wheels, Jefferson Bank named the employee courtyard the F. Nelson Finch, II Courtyard in his honor.

We still love seeing Nelson volunteering and attending events throughout the year. He also goes above and beyond by mentoring a current Board member to ensure seniors receive more than a meal in the future.

Thank you, Nelson, for paying it forward and being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve! 

The eighth person in our 45 for 45 series is Adriona Irby Knight, Director of Individual Giving at Meals on Wheels San Antonio!

As Director of Individual Giving, Adriona works daily to thank donors for their gifts and share stories of how their support changes the lives of the people we serve. Her position is unique as she sees firsthand the community's joy in their ability to give to our mission and the delight our clients express when they receive the nutritious meals, friendly visits, and safety checks those donations make possible! It just makes sense that her favorite part about being at Meals on Wheels is "seeing the smiles on the faces of the seniors we serve."

Adriona is coming up on 17 years of service with Meals on Wheels San Antonio, and she also brings happiness to the lives of many clients and coworkers. It's easy to do when you feel like she does about work. Adriona said, "I feel like a part of something meaningful and enjoy making a difference in the lives of others." We're lucky to have Adriona as part of our staff!

Thank you, Adriona, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve! 

The seventh person in our 45 for 45 series is Mary Tijerina, Special Diets Coordinator at Meals on Wheels San Antonio and our longest-tenured team member with 24 years of service!  

Since starting in 1998, Mary has been coming to work every Monday-Friday at 4 a.m. to prepare meals for our older and disabled clients. As Special Diets Coordinator, Mary prepares special meals for our clients, including ground and puree. Her favorite part about working at Meals on Wheels is knowing "I make a difference in somebody's life with a meal."  

Over those 24 years, Mary's made a difference in countless lives, making an estimated 22,660,729 meals. That's a lot of meals!

Mary credits her focus and determination, as well as her colleagues, for her long tenure and why she calls Meals on Wheels home. Mary says, "the people make me want to come. The people respect me here, and we all get along, making me want to wake up at 4 a.m. and come to work." She's not the only one with determination. We're determined that Mary's 25th year at Meals on Wheels will be the best yet! 

Thank you, Mary, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the families in the community we serve!

The sixth person in our 45 for 45 series is Imelda Trevino, CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) for Meals on Wheels San Antonio’s Grace Place Alzheimer's Services! 

As a CNA, Imelda cares for clients dealing with Alzheimer’s & Dementia and creates, prepares, and oversees activities for Grace Place Alzheimer's Services. These activities are great for clients to socialize, create, and engage with their motor skills. Her favorite part of the role is "keeping clients’  spirits high and keeping them engaged." She says, "they go home happy and want to come back."

Imelda has been with Meals on Wheels San Antonio for over 23 years! In her time with Meals on Wheels and Grace Place, Imelda has taken "other duties as assigned" seriously.  Including meal preparation and delivery because she knows it's to help others in need. "It's an awesome feeling delivering the meals to the clients and seeing all the faces light up." 
Imelda said, "that makes my day!"

Imelda makes our day, and we are so thankful to have her as part of the Meals on Wheels team! Thank you, Imelda, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels, Grace Place Alzheimer's Services, and the families in the community we serve.

The fifth person we are highlighting in our 45 for 45 series is Henry Ellard, a meal delivery volunteer for Meals on Wheels San Antonio! Henry has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels since 2021 and was named Volunteer of the Month in January 2022!

As a meal delivery volunteer, Henry brings nutritious meals straight to the doors of our older and disabled clients throughout San Antonio. Henry volunteers to “give back to the community and pass on my blessings to others.”

In his time volunteering, Henry has delivered 3,350 meals to our clients. But it’s not just about the food. Henry’s favorite part of volunteering is “seeing the smiling faces of our clients when they open the door and realize it’s Meals on Wheels.” We are thankful to have Henry as part of the Meals on Wheels family!

Thank you, Henry, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the community we serve.

The fourth person we are highlighting in our 45 for 45 series is Rebecca Retana, Care Coordinator for Meals on Wheels San Antonio. Rebecca has been a Meals on Wheels team member since May 2020 and was recently named Staff Philanthropist of the Month for January 2023!

As Care Coordinator, Rebecca's primary focus is ensuring our clients receive the proper care and attention they deserve. This role includes assessments, wellness checks, and referring clients to other agencies to make sure clients are safe in their homes. Rebecca's passion for helping others shows through her work as she explains, "I enjoy the work I do, and I enjoy meeting with our seniors and helping our community!" 

Her passion is also why she chooses to donate back to Meals on Wheels San Antonio. Rebecca says, "the work we do means a lot to seniors, and I see firsthand how much it means to them. At times the Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers are the only people the seniors we serve get to interact with during the day, so it is nice knowing they have that support." We're lucky to have Rebecca as part of our team.

Thank you, Rebecca, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the community we serve.

The third person we are highlighting in our 45 for 45 series is Esther, a longtime Meals on Wheels San Antonio client who recently celebrated her 102nd birthday!

Esther, a San Antonio native, was married to her husband for 73 years, and together, they raised six children. Esther has lived in her home for over 25 years and loves the neighborhood and her old trees. Her favorite activities include listening to music and playing dominoes with her family.

Esther enjoys the meals and company our delivery drivers and volunteers bring during each delivery because "they're very patient, and they take good care of me." Esther has arthritis, so the "meals come in very handy because they're already cooked." We are honored to be part of Esther's day and lucky to have her be part of the Meals on Wheels San Antonio family.

The second person we’re highlighting in our 45 for 45 series is Oscar Lucio, Production Manager for Meals on Wheels San Antonio. Oscar has been a Meals on Wheels team member for over 20 years and will be celebrating 21 years in September! 

Oscar's leadership in the kitchen is crucial to the operations of a kitchen that produces over 7,000 meals per day! Oscar starts his day off at 4 a.m. to oversee the preparation and production of thousands of meals for our clients. Even with this monumental task, our kitchen team has been on a roll with consecutive 100s on their City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District inspections. 

With all that goes into food production, Oscar finds time to spend with his wife Sherrie and children Zachary and Alexis, who are both in college. He also brightens our staff celebrations with homemade treats for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions! We're lucky to have Oscar as part of our staff. Thank you, Oscar, for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the community we serve. You can read more about Oscar in this Express-News article here: https://www.mowsatx.org/meals-wheels-food-manager-takes-challenges

The first person in our 45 for 45 series is Steven Dean, Board Chair of Meals on Wheels San Antonio. Steven was appointed to the Board in 2016 and is a member of our Time to Deliver Capital Campaign Committee. Steven is the Vice President of Water Resources at Pape-Dawson Engineers, a longtime community partner. 

For years, Pape-Dawson's employees have delivered more than a meal with Meals on Wheels and even helped to beautify our previous Grace Place Activity Center. Most recently, they've supported our future with a capital investment in our new headquarters in the form of the Pape-Dawson Engineers Charitable Foundation Truck Court.

Steven's leadership has been instrumental to our organization's operations and the construction of our new campus, from the groundbreaking to the ribbon cutting for the Meals on Wheels San Antonio Campus of Grace. Since joining the Board, Steven and his family have donated their time every Thanksgiving and at countless other volunteer events. Thank you to Steven for being so dedicated to Meals on Wheels and the community we serve.