Roger saw a request for more Meals on Wheels drivers in the South Bend Tribune eleven years ago. He had recently retired, and he had a special place in his heart for older people. He spent a lot of with his grandparents as a child, and he has always learned a lot from talking to older people.
Roger started his route the week he saw the ad, and he’s been a volunteer for eleven years. He has befriended many of the people he delivers too. Roger says most of his patients live alone, and often his delivery is the highlight of their day.
He is also often the only person checking in on them. If there is any serious change in their health, he reports it to his supervisor.
Roger recalls delivering to a “Mr. Thompson”. Mr. Thompson was always friendly, and he bonded with Roger over their shared love of cats. Then one day, he found Mr. Thompson taking the trash out. Mr. Thompson told him angrily to take the food away. The next day, he accepted the food, but told Roger to take the milk away. He was experiencing on onset of dementia, and he went into a nursing home the next week.