ShawneeDispatch.com

Sue Brothers looks forward to it every other Thursday - the friendly greeting she receives from Donald, one of the clients on her Shawnee Meals on Wheels route.

"He always says 'Well, hello there!'" she says, laughing as she imitates his friendly, booming salutation.

Then there's Geri, whom Brothers affectionately refers to as "The bow lady"; she knows if Geri is in a good mood when she comes to the door with her hair done up in a bow that matches her outfit perfectly.

Brothers has been forming these kinds of relationships with Meals on Wheels clients as a volunteer driver for the past 13 years. It's an effort fostered in her since childhood, when her mother had a Meals on Wheels route.

"When I was little, she used to bring me along in the car from when I was an infant probably even when she was pregnant with me," Brothers said.

For the past 10 months, Brothers' insurance agency in western Shawnee has volunteered to cover a Shawnee Meals on Wheels route on Thursdays. Brothers drives the route every other Thursday with help from Lori Hoelting-Barngrover of L.A. Graphics, and on her off weeks, one of her employees handles the route. And as rising gasoline prices have made the effort more taxing, she has even gone so far as to offer her employees the use of her car to ensure clients on the route receive their meals.

"I guess I feel guilty asking (employees) to do something our agency is supporting when they're putting miles on their car and gas is expensive," Brothers said. "As an owner of a company, I'm happy to do that. We struggle to make sure there are enough people to cover our office on Thursdays, but we make it work, because it's something I feel very strongly about."

Cause for concern

The Meals on Wheels program, operated locally by the Johnson County Human Services & Aging department, could use more volunteers like Brothers. It provides more than 150,000 meals each year to homebound seniors in Johnson County, but with an economy in recession and gas prices reaching record levels, there is cause for concern about the program's future.

Higher costs of food and gas already have caused other Meals on Wheels programs across the county to cut down on the number of days they provide meals. Nancy Tanquary, Johnson County Nutrition Program manager, said thankfully, the local program has yet to reach that stage.

"At this point, with our funding, we're holding our own; it's just increasingly concerning," Tanquary said.

Meals on Wheels is funded federally by the Older Americans Act, as well as with state and county funds. Those who are able to may make a small donation for their meals - $2.50 per meal is suggested - but donations are not a requirement to receive the service.

Tanquary said locally, the organization has struggled with food costs, which have risen about 6 percent over the last year and are constantly increasing. But officials have learned to seek out better contracts for food and supplies to find less costly options, as well as streamlining operations to be more cost-effective.

For example, food used to be served on an aluminum tray, but the organization saved costs by switching to recyclable paper trays.

"We don't know when the end's in sight, but so far, we've been able to juggle things and handle our costs at this time," Tanquary said.

Help wanted

The program's biggest worry for now is maintaining a full roster of volunteers to drive Meals on Wheels routes.

"As the price of gas keeps rising, we're becoming more and more concerned about that," Tanquary said.

About 600 elderly, homebound residents in the county are served a noon meal five days a week from the 10 different neighborhood centers. Nine routes operate out of the Irene B. French Community Center in Merriam, including those serving Shawnee residents. To make all this happen, each day, the total program needs 58 volunteers to deliver meals and check on clients.

Tanquary said the program's importance lies not just in providing a nutritious meal for homebound seniors; it also serves as a safety net for clients, as the person who delivers their meal may be the only person they see all day. In fact, 70 percent of senior participants report that the Meals on Wheels volunteers are often the only person they see daily.

So by providing someone who checks on them and makes sure they are doing well, in addition to bringing them meals, the program helps make sure these seniors can stay in the community rather than be forced into a nursing home.

Tanquary hopes that won't be forgotten amid concerns about the economy.

"We're certainly in a better position than many of the other programs, but we definitely need the community support," she said.

On Thursday, Donald greeted Brothers and Hoelting-Barngrover with his typical cheerfulness and thanked them for his meal.

"They're a great help, I'll tell ya," he said.

The interaction is just another reminder of the importance of the program for Brothers.

"I just hope that if I get to that age and I need something like this, it will be available," Brothers said.