Ready, willing and able, that pretty much describes Jerry and Karen Anderson. Oh yes, and add dedicated to that list!
The Silver Lake couple can be counted on to drop whatever they are doing to deliver Meals on Wheels to the homebound in and around their village. The meals program is coordinated by Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc.
“The noon meal delivery is sometimes the only contact an elderly shut-in has with the outside world,” Jerry says, “and we always ask how they are doing. Sometimes they need us to do other things like bring in the mail.”
The Andersons don’t have a regular route, so are considered substitute Meals on Wheels drivers. But that doesn’t mean that their volunteer efforts are of only marginal importance. It is a crucial role, since those meal delivery volunteers with regular routes may not always be available because of vacation or illness.
For Jerry, there’s nothing new being behind the wheel. For more than three decades, before retiring, he taught driver’s education at Wilmot High School.
Karen describes her role in the meal delivery program as that of the navigator. She rides along and makes sure the meals get delivered to the right addresses.
Meals destined for rural residents come out of a central location in the city of Kenosha. Some are delivered to community meal sites, where senior citizens gather to eat and socialize. Others are meant for those who are not able to get out and must rely on home delivery.
Silver Lake meals are delivered to the Westosha Senior Citizens Center, then are transferred to the Silver Lake Village Hall for pickup by the volunteer drivers.
When the Andersons are called upon to fill in for a regular driver – which is frequent -- they arrive at the Village Hall at 11 a.m. to pick up the meals and the list of recipients.
Each meal recipient gets a tray of hot food and a separate cold container with milk and fruit. Special diets are accommodated for those with precise needs, such as diabetics.
“We have had as many as 17 meals to deliver on a 20 to 30 mile route, but the current route is five people,” Karen says. The route takes about 45 minutes to complete.
Meal delivery drivers are warned to constantly be on the lookout for problems. They are instructed to call KAFASI offices if a meal recipient does not answer the door. Steps are taken immediately to locate the person and make sure he or she is okay.
Jerry was born in Boscobel and Karen in Fennimore. The high school sweethearts married in 1960 and later moved to Kenosha County. Jerry taught industrial arts and driver education at Wilmot for 33 years, retiring in 1994.
Karen worked at a local bank for some years, then retired to raise her two children, Douglas and Vicky. Currently, the Andersons have one granddaughter, Danielle.
Substituting for other drivers fits the Andersons’ lifestyle. They want to help out, but don’t want to be tied to a regular schedule. In the warm months, their backyard swimming pool is a popular place, as is their garden. They like to travel, go to movies and eat out.
Dana Tehako-Esser, volunteer services coordinator for KAFASI, notes that having subs available who can fill in, either with advance notice or at the last minute, is important, she says. “We need more Jerrys.”
Anyone interested in more information on being a meals driver, in the county or city, may contact Dana Tehako-Esser at (262) 658-3508 ext. 120 or e-mail her at volunteer@mcleodusa.net.
