Have you ever wondered how Santa gets all those presents to everyone by Christmas? He must have a system and his system probably involves resourceful volunteers like those of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging Holiday Meals on Wheels program.
This Christmas, more than 6,000 homebound seniors in Wayne County received a hot holiday dinner through the work of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging and the DTE Energy Foundation, which is donating $30,000. Additionally, through the support of DTE Energy and its 700 volunteers, each senior will also receive a cozy, warm, red fleece blanket.
DAAA’s Holiday Meals on Wheels program themed this year “A Priceless Gift that Warms Hearts,” provides holiday meals to home bound seniors in Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Harper Woods, Hamtramck and Highland Park.
“We love helping to make Christmas for our seniors with our Holiday Meals on Wheels program. It’s heartwarming to continue to serve this most important population,” said Paul Bridgewater, DAAA President and CEO. “The DTE Energy Foundation has partnered with us over the last five years on this program and we couldn’t do it without them and their dedicated employees.”
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The DTE Energy Care Corps volunteers join hundreds other volunteers from corporations, businesses, churches, sororities, fraternities and various organizations who will pack, distribute and individually deliver fresh-cooked, hot nutritious meals to metro Detroit homebound seniors on Christmas Day starting at 6 a.m.
The packing of 6,000 meals will occur at Valley Services, 1980 Bagley in Detroit, at the corner of Rosa Parks Blvd. (old 12th Street) south of Michigan Avenue, near old Corktown.
“Watching the teams of volunteers work to help others really reminds you that Detroit is very generous and cares about our seniors. This is what Christmas is about, helping others because hunger takes no holiday. Everyone makes a sacrifice to get up early on Christmas morning to make sure the seniors are served their hot meals and given their warm blankets from DTE by noon,” said Bridgewater.
DAAA and its team of 1,200 volunteers will prepare the 6,000 Christmas holiday meals in two days. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 8 to noon, the volunteers will package the non-perishable items, which include beverages, utensils and a holiday card.
On Thursday, Dec. 25, beginning at 6 a.m., the volunteers will package the seniors’ meals that were made fresh that morning. This year’s Christmas meal includes chicken with apple glaze, whole sweet potatoes, green beans with red peppers, a dinner roll, fruit pie, and milk and juice.
The meals are lovingly prepared by Valley Services, a national food services company, in their USDA-certified kitchen at 1980 Bagley Street in Detroit and are distributed to ten community sites plus two Detroit DTE Service Centers: Warren Service Center, 7940 Livernois; and Caniff Service Center, 1201 Caniff.
“It really is an amazing system to watch and see how fast the food gets out to our seniors, and it is all volunteer-driven. The sites are where the volunteers go to pack their cars, get their instructions so they can deliver the meals the seniors. This year DTE has offered two of their own service centers so their employees and their families can pick up from an east side and west side location and meet up with Faye Alexander Nelson, president of the DTE Energy Foundation and vice president of public affairs. We’re all like Santa’s helpers. It’ll be a rewarding experience for all.”
The federally-funded Meals on Wheels program provides meals to homebound seniors in Detroit, but meals are not provided on holidays and weekends.
“We know that hunger takes no holiday, that’s why the Detroit Area Agency on Aging sells holiday cards for $5 each to deliver a complete freshly-prepared hot nutritious meal to seniors on holidays,” said Bridgewater.
“With the help of corporate sponsors – like DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company Fund, the community and DAAA employees – thousands of dollars are raised to purchase the meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Labor Day each year.”
To make a donation to the Holiday Meals on Wheels Card campaign to help seniors, make checks payable to: Detroit Meals On Wheels, 1333 Brewery Park Blvd., Detroit, MI 48207. You can also call (313) 446-4444 or make a donation via PayPal online via https://www.daaa1a.org/DAAA/donations.
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