Through my job with Meals on Wheels here at St. Luke’s, I have the privilege of visiting over the phone with many of our wonderful clients. So often, I get to receive the gratitude for the work of many people – our chef, our drivers, our kitchen helpers and more. It always brings such joy to my day to hear the grateful messages of people who receive our meals.
Every Thanksgiving, St. Luke’s and some of our partner churches in the area work together to deliver a wonderful Thanksgiving meal to any client who needs one. As you can imagine, preparing for this project is a large task that requires some intense coordination between the entities. I remember being nervous last Thanksgiving morning that I would receive messages from clients who had accidentally been missed for one reason or another. However, I was so pleasantly surprised when I only received one phone call all day. This call was from a gentleman on our South OKC route who is unable to leave his home independently due to low vision and balance issues. His message that morning was one of sincere gratitude. He wanted us all to know how thankful he was that “we hadn’t forgotten about people like him, even on a holiday”. Listening to this message brought relief to my spirit to know that we hadn’t missed anyone like I’d feared, as well as a deep sense of personal gratitude for the work of the many people that made Thanksgiving meal deliveries possible for our dear clients.
As we prepare to deliver Thanksgiving meals again next week, I am remembering in my prayers those who, for whatever reason, are spending the holiday alone. I am grateful for programs like our Meals on Wheels that work to do just what our client said – not forget about those who need us most.
Morgan Jones, Associate Director of Meals on Wheels OKC
