Special delivery

Steve DeBell needed to find something to do. Something to occupy his time.

After a long career as a bookkeeper for a company operating three restaurants, the 73-year-old looked forward to a new chapter in life. But he no longer wanted the long hours crunching numbers and balancing ledgers.

After the Mountlake Terrace resident stepped down from his position in June 2022, his daughter asked him a question: What’s next? “Volunteer work,” DeBell replied. His daughter mentioned a friend who worked at Homage, a Lynnwood nonprofit providing a wide range of services for older adults and people with disabilities in Snohomish County.

Even better, she said: Homage had plenty of volunteer opportunities. DeBell was intrigued. He reached out to Homage, and a month after retiring signed up as a volunteer driver and food packer for Meals on Wheels. It’s been said many times, and DeBell agrees: Volunteering is a way to give back to the community. “The bottom line is that I feel blessed. That is the one word to describe my life. I decided to try and do something to help other people. There are people who need food or other things that I can help with.”

Serving a vulnerable population

You’ve heard of Meals on Wheels. It’s a supplemental food program for those over 60 who typically are homebound, don’t drive, and may be short on support. Participants are eligible to receive seven meals delivered each week.

“This doesn’t take care of all of their needs. But it’s a supplement to what they’re already doing,” said Meals on Wheels manager Barbara Holland-Besaw. “Hopefully they’ve got a basic food program.” Registered dieticians develop portion-controlled menus low in sodium and fat. Homage also provides bread, produce, and 1% milk.

“The meals are designed to meet the dietary needs of older adults,” said Homage nutrition director Leah Hammon. “We also have several nutrition assessors on staff who work with individuals who have specific dietary and medical needs. We will customize what those folks are receiving to meet their specific dietary needs.”

DeBell volunteers twice a week – he packs food on Monday afternoons and delivers food to up to 10 clients in the Bothell area on Wednesday mornings. The Meals on Wheels program serves between 1,800 and 1,900 annually throughout Snohomish County. Some clients are chronically homebound and need long-term support. Others may have an acute condition where they need the program for only a couple of months while recovering from surgery, for example. Drivers make food deliveries four days a week. Homage employs nine paid drivers, but volunteer drivers serve an important role. Meals on Wheels has about 30 volunteers. “The fact that we have so many volunteers to help us get meals out means we don’t have a hard time doing that,” said Holland-Besaw. “It would be costly for us to pay regular employees to do that. So we appreciate them.”

Volunteer drivers do more than drop off food. They are an extra set of eyes looking after a vulnerable population. Drivers perform a wellness check during each visit. “We have eyes out there on the clients so that if there’s any change in their status or needs that are identified by our drivers they’ll report back to us,” said Hammon. “Then we’re able to make referrals as needed to other community resources and provide additional nutritional support as needed.”

Many clients live alone with limited contact with family and friends. DeBell said he usually has time to shoot the breeze. “It’s good to spend a few minutes with the people who like to chat.”

Out in the field

DeBell only had four bags of food to deliver on this particular Wednesday morning. Other volunteer drivers have from 10 to 20 clients. His first stop of the day is Ruthie, a huge Seahawks fan. Immediately after she spied DeBell through the sliding glass door she waved and beckoned him inside. The two spent a few minutes talking football before DeBell said his goodbyes. “She’s always friendly, and somewhere along the line we got to talking about the Seahawks,” said DeBell. “I usually find out little bits about their families. I don’t mind chitchatting with people, especially if they don’t have other people around.”

The client isn’t home at his next stop, so DeBell leaves a note. Because some of the food is perishable, drivers don’t leave bags unattended. That’s the rule. Even so, DeBell found a note with a couple of small candy bars, an apparent attempt to persuade the delivery guy to leave the bag.

But rules are rules. “We usually have a nice conversation. I like to put out the trash cans on trash day. She says ‘Thank you for doing that.’ I was saying to her last week, ‘I don’t know if I’m taking your exercise away from you or being helpful.’ But I just like to see if there’s something that I can help them with.” DeBell had better luck with the next two people on his list. Both were home. Returning to Homage, he put the undelivered food in storage and turned in paperwork.

As part of the packet of information he carries, DeBell has a booklet that lists other services Homage offers, such as small home repairs. “One of the things we have is a form that we can fill out if we want someone to follow up. I like to see if there’s something we can think of or somebody who I can connect them with, even if it’s just somebody else to talk to.” DeBell likes to add a personal touch.

“They (Homage) put up a birthday list so we can remember people’s birthdays.” The interaction between driver and client is as equally important as providing meals, Hammon said. “Our drivers are touching base with these folks every week,” she said. “They’re developing a rapport and keeping an eye out for our older neighbors. And that can serve as a gateway to additional resources and engagement.”

Volunteers also benefit by staying engaged and active in their communities. Most of Homage’s volunteers have been with the organization for years. “Steve loves making a difference and coming in and seeing his clients,” said Holland-Besaw. “When you get to know them, it becomes important. You develop a huge rapport. I think that’s the reason why folks donate their time and effort.”

For more information about Homage’s Meals on Wheels program or volunteer opportunities: homage.org.