Something pretty powerful happens when a sack containing nutritious food changes hands from a volunteer delivery driver to a Meals on Wheels client.

It's a smile, a laugh, a "Hey, how you doing?"

"As one Christian to another, you are doing the Lord's work," 83-year-old Coeur d'Alene resident Al Oates said to a smiling volunteer, Harriet Dillion, as she stepped into his garage to hand him his meals. "You are a ray of sunshine."

Oates is one of the many seniors in the community who depend on the Meals on Wheels program as a main food source. He has been a recipient for 21 years. He is on his own since his wife Bonnie died last year. They were married for 63 years.

"She was a real peach," the Korean War Army veteran said. "She was interred at Memorial Gardens in the veterans area. They have a place for me right in the same plot with her. I plan to be where she is someday, and at my age, it shouldn't be too long."

Oates, originally from Texas, doesn't drive anymore. But "I’ve got my little scooter so I can terrorize the neighborhood,” he said with a grin.

He'll sometimes take his scooter to the nearby gas station up the road or cross a busy Government Way when he needs to get to the grocery store.

For the most part, Al spends a lot of time at home. And he doesn't have much money to work with, so he really appreciates the interaction and support he receives from Meals on Wheels.

"Meals on Wheels has been a big help to me," he said in his warm Southern drawl. "My income is measured and I try to keep this house where my wife and I lived for so long. I’m making it, but I’m hanging on by the skin of my teeth."

Harriet, who has driven the same Friday route with her husband, Tom, for 15 years, said Al is one of the special people they get to see each week.

"The reason you keep doing this is because you know there’s people out there that appreciate it," she said.

"And need it," Tom added.

"They need food,” Harriet continued. "You stop and talk to some of the people and we’re probably the only ones they see all day long. Some of the people are so sweet, you just can’t help it. Talk with them, goof off, whatever they want. We go in and put their food away for them and on the table and say, ‘OK, your food’s here. Come on, eat.'"

A program to keep our seniors fed

Meals on Wheels is a nonprofit program dedicated to combating hunger in the senior population. More than 10 million seniors in the U.S. struggle with hunger, more than 15 million live alone and more than 18 million live at or below the poverty level.

"Many of our seniors live on less than $483 a month. That is what the average is of the seniors that live across our parking lot," said Post Falls Senior Center executive director Alison McArthur. "A lot of people think seniors are rich; you know, ‘You worked all your life, you’ve got your retirement, it’s the golden years.’ It isn’t the golden years any more."

Two main local Meals on Wheels programs are operated out of the Lake City Center in Coeur d'Alene and the Post Falls Senior Center. Both programs started in the 1980s or earlier and both serve a fluctuating number of clients each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

"Some of these people might be temporary because they’ve just had recent surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement, or they’ve had a heart attack and they can’t do something," McArthur said. "Or it could be a long-term program for them.”

Lake City Center Meals on Wheels director Kris Wright said many seniors suffer from malnutrition.

"They don’t want to cook. They’re 90 years old. I don’t want to cook when I’m 90, I want someone to cook for me," she said. "And when somebody sees that food coming in the house that's hot, it's so much better than cooking. If you already see it cooked, you’re more apt to sit down. The portions aren’t gigantic, which is another thing they like, because then when they’ve finished they’re like, ‘Ooh, I’ve finished my lunch.’ And it's good for them."

Senior citizens 60 and older qualify for the program, especially if they are facing a financial hardship or a disability that makes it difficult to provide for themselves.

"I couldn't afford not to be on the program. They help me," said River Reasoner, 73, of Coeur d'Alene, who recently returned home from a hospital stay after a hip replacement. "It isn’t the first time they’ve helped me with having meals because I was sick with the flu and they helped me. And the people that are doing the work, it is so sweet. They’re just great people, they’re really good people. And Kris at the Center, she makes sure everything’s OK. She’ll call. It’s so sweet."

As well as elderly and disabled clients served through the Area Agency on Aging, Lake City Center works with other MoW programs in Clark Fork, Spirit Lake and Rathdrum while the Post Falls Senior Center serves Medicaid and Blue Cross clients in Rathdrum, Hayden, Hauser and Coeur d'Alene.

"I’m not going to see a senior go hungry," McArthur said. "The ones on Medicaid are the ones that are a lot more mobility challenged. They’re the ones on food stamps or have nursing care."

Each month, McArthur and Wright send "statements" to their recipients, who are welcome to contribute a suggested donation. But the programs are supported through grants, the Older Americans Act, donations and other reimbursements, so seniors who can't afford it don't have to worry.

“We’re never going to turn these people away," McArthur said.

The meals

Coconut shrimp with dipping sauce, coleslaw, red rice and fruit with dessert. German sausage with sauerkraut, potato salad and quinoa with dessert. Country fried steak with country gravy, mashed potatoes, peas and corn, mixed grains.

And don't forget that dessert.

“I don’t know what kind of spices they use, but they taste good," said Bonnie Thomas, 73, of Coeur d'Alene, as she removed the protective film from a diabetic-friendly meal of chicken, rice, sweet potatoes and peaches. "I appreciate it."

Each day, chefs at the senior centers arrive early to plan meals that meet and exceed federal standards. Lake City Center's chef, J.W. King, grew up in Mississippi and graduated from the California Culinary Academy in the San Francisco Bay area, so many of his dishes reflect that training and regional flair.

"I've made fried shrimp po' boys, I'll do my chicken fried steak with gravy and mash and fresh vegetables," he said. "It’s a good program. I’m glad it exists. If the shoe were on the other foot, I’d really appreciate a J.W. King cooking for me."

Employees and volunteers scurry each morning to separate the hot meals from the frozen, mark the diabetic and special dietary meals and ensure that each client receives a balanced amount of nutrition.

"They get milk, salad dressing and a salad, apple for fruit, juice," said Millie Larson, who has worked at Post Falls Senior Center for three years. "Some people, due to religious beliefs, don’t eat pork. If they have an allergy, we ask that they get that note from their doctor that says they’re allergic to something."

Recipients get hot and frozen meals each visit; Lake City Center sends out about 90 frozen meals each Meals on Wheels day with numerous hot meals, and in September alone, the Post Falls Senior Center sent out about 2,800 frozen and 632 hot.

"It’s organization," Lake City Center administrative director Rick Currie said. "Everybody has their portion and they’re very well organized, whether it’s J.W. in the kitchen or Kris out here setting up the deliveries. It’s a process and the process works."

The wheels

Meals on Wheels meals are transported to recipients by delivery drivers who dedicate a few hours each week to serving their seniors. Many drivers, like the Dillions, have been doing it for many years. Others are newer but immensely enjoy it.

“I just love the interaction with the people,” said Glenn Martin, who has been a part-time driver for Post Falls Senior Center for about a year.

Drivers arrive to gather the coolers, hot bags and other items around 10 a.m., maybe earlier depending on the workload or to prepare for a holiday. They pack their vehicles and, after any special directions or instructions, head out to see their Meals on Wheels people.

"We get to know our clients," said Anne Sedgwick of Coeur d'Alene, who has volunteered with her husband, Jonathan, for seven years. "When they have to go into a nursing home or assisted living, we like to go visit them. We get to be friendly with them. They like us and we like them."

The Sedgwicks, as with many of the drivers, spend a little time with their clients when they deliver the meals. They know the names of grandchildren in college and wives who have died. They bring little gifts for birthdays and holidays. They say hi to the canine companions and sometimes sit for a spell.

“I enjoy people coming in to visit, said Walter Manheim, 83, of Coeur d'Alene, who has been a Meals on Wheels client for two years. "It's a good deal."

Along with the socialization, it's also about safety. Many drivers have medical backgrounds or some kind of training that alerts them when something is wrong. They must be watchdogs, prepared for anything, as well as couriers.

"One of our clients, he was in a trailer park and the gate was locked getting into the door," Anne said, sadness in her eyes. "He did call out but he couldn’t get to the door. He couldn’t get up. We called 9-1-1 and they came and got him. It was one of those hot, hot days last summer. He went to the hospital and he died like two days later."

For many recipients, their Meals on Wheels visit is the only visit they get that week. While drivers must be familiar with their clients' routines to spot red flags, recipients must be able to trust those coming to their door and into their homes.

"There’s a 99 percent trust on letting them come into our house and bring our food," Reasoner said. "You don’t know people. They could come in or rape you, kill you, all kinds of things run through your mind. But that level of trust that they give, and you see them every week, it builds every week. They’re like your friend that visits once a week. They want to help you."

Volunteers are required to complete preliminary paperwork, drivers license checks and other security steps before they are allowed to deliver. Wright said she likes to meet them in person as well to ensure the right people are conducting this important mission.

"We do it out of our hearts," Wright said. "We do it because we want to help the people out, especially the homebound. You’ve got to have a heart. And all my drivers and volunteers, they have heart too. They do. If something is not right, they call me right away and we go on from that."

Get in gear

Both programs have a huge need for drivers who can fill in on days regular volunteers are not available.

"We’re desperately needing drivers,” McArthur said. “All my subs have moved into regular drivers."

Just a couple hours a day makes a big difference in an elderly person's life, and the volunteers benefit, too.

“We absolutely love it,” said Kim Wanecke of Hayden, who volunteers with her husband, David. “We’ve gotten so many great relationships.

"We get as much out of it as they do."

Earlier this year, Meals on Wheels America launched a national "America, Let's Do Lunch" campaign to drive volunteers and serve more seniors. More volunteers and support are being called upon as the elderly population is on the rise.

"Everyday, with the 11,000-12,000 people that are turning 60 or older, it’s going to get more of what they call the ‘tsunami of silver hair,’ whatever you want to call it," McArthur said. "They are coming."

And with the holidays quickly approaching, volunteers and drivers are needed now more than ever to help sustain the senior population, with food and with friendship.

"They sit there by themselves with the TV off, maybe a radio on, with four blank walls," McArthur said. "What we’re seeing is families are walking away from them because it’s coming to the end of their life. The kids are afraid, they don’t want to be there when their loved one passes away. They don’t want to see them in pain and suffering and it’s very sad to see that people are walking away from seniors.

"Everybody in this world only wants to be known and loved," she continued. "All that it takes is a simple knowing their name or knowing something about them, giving them that handshake or that hug and making them feel loved and respected."

To volunteer with Meals on Wheels at the Lake City Center, contact Wright at kris@lakecitycenter.org or 667-4628. To volunteer with Meals on Wheels at the Post Falls Senior Center, contact McArthur at 773-9582 or postfallsseniorcenter@frontier.com.