Willie O'Neal
As Willie O’Neal was driving down Sheridan Road one spring morning, he saw a sign that said a local agency was seeking volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels.
He stopped his car and went inside the offices of Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc., and told them he would like to help.
“I had been retired a short time and I took some time off,” O’Neal recalls, “But when I saw that sign, asking for volunteers, I knew I wanted to do something to help somebody.”
That was nearly six years ago. Since then, O’Neal has delivered thousands of meals to elderly, sick and disabled people in the community. Meals are available to persons who are unable to prepare their own food and have no one to cook for them.
Tuesday is O’Neal’s regular day on the route and he delivers 12 to 16 meals in a one-hour time slot. He is a familiar face to those on his route and O’Neal prides himself on never being late.
“In some cases, I’m the only person they see all day and I know they will be waiting for me.”
O’Neal said he would like to stay and talk with each person on his route, but, “The rest of the people on my list are waiting for their meal too so I have to keep moving.”
Hot food is kept hot in special lined, insulated bags during delivery. Each recipient also receives a brown lunch bag containing cold items like milk, bread and butter. Some recipients even opt for an additional cold meal consisting of a sandwich, vegetable, and fruit or dessert that can be a snack or a light evening meal.
Sponsored by Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc. (KAFASI), 7730 Sheridan Road, Meals on Wheels has been operating in Kenosha since 1973. The meals are available to both city and rural residents in Kenosha County.
To be eligible, recipients must be homebound and unable to attend a group meal site, capable of feeding themselves, able to open the door for the volunteer driver and willing to accept a home visit from a social worker.
Hot noon meals cost $4.50 each and the optional extra cold meal is $3.25. There are funding options available through local organizations for persons who are unable to pay; however, there is currently a waiting list.
“Since I’ve been on the route, I realize what a big impact this program has on people,” said O’Neal. “They are so grateful for what we do for them.”
O’Neal was born in Mounds, Illinois, a river town in the southern part of the state, where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers come together. One of 16 children, he has fond memories of watching river barges loaded with soybeans heading down river to New Orleans.
After high school and a tour of duty with the Air Force, O’Neal and his wife, Betty, moved to Kenosha in 1970. Today the family includes four grown children, Miriam, Eric, Victor and Vincent and eight grandchildren.
O’Neal spent 30 years at MacWhyte Company, retiring as superintendent of the wire division.
He admits to being a football fanatic, whether it is high school, college or NFL. His other hobby is horse racing, outdoors at Arlington Park from May to October, indoors at a Waukegan off-track facility the rest of the year.
An outspoken advocate for Meals on Wheels, O’Neal says “I get a great deal of satisfaction from doing what I do.”
“It’s important to do what you can. If you have an hour to spare, it’s well worth your time.”
City residents who want more information about Meals on Wheels should call KAFASI at 262-658-0237. Rural residents may call 262-857-3811.
