Today mine was my second opportunity to ride along with one of the lovely volunteers for Meals On Wheels, Northampton County, on his twice-weekly deliveries to his “beat” in Hellertown.
Ed Racz of Bethlehem says his wife, Jo Ann, first suggested delivering for Meals on Wheels to him after his retirement two years ago. “I needed something to fill the time,” Racz says. In Racz's case it turned out to be much more than that, but then again, chances are you could ask any volunteer about what they do and they would tell you that they get so much more from the experience than just passing the time.
Between our conversations about our shared love for the Edgeboro section of Bethlehem, our disdain for buying a car brand new and his life traveling the globe for his career in marketing, I learned about the people on his route.
In the two years he has been doing this, he knows their situations pretty well. He provided the 4-1-1 on who would be shy, who would be chattier and who probably would not talk to another human being for the rest of the day after we left. Ugh.
As we traversed our Hellertown territory we visited all kinds of neighborhoods and homes. We needed to deliver 11 meals today between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. so sticking to some of kind of schedule was important. That wasn't easy though, especially when we went to Sylvia's house—a cute little bungalow with a weathered wreath on the front door. What a lovely woman in her bright blue dress and bright smile. She is wheelchair-bound and has trouble seeing. I was relieved to learn that she has a son and daughter-in-law who live nearby and stop by almost every day. She would be fun to have a cup of tea with, I thought. No time to do that today, we were only through about half of our deliveries at that point.
Our most interesting stop of the morning, by far, was to Klotz's Bait & Tackle Shop. Welcome to the wonderful world of lures! So if you need one of those, any type of fishing equipment or grubs for your line, be sure to stop and see the sweetest person to ever bait a hook. The owner knows her stuff, too. She's a sunny lady and remarks how she just loves her Meals on Wheel volunteer. “Everyone they send is so nice,” she remarks. We chitchat about biz a bit, but then it's off to our next stop. She reminds us it's just a matter of weeks until trout season begins as we leave. What a saleswoman!
Now, if there's anything you need to know about marshmallow Peeps, Pat, can tell you that. Pat worked at Just Born Inc., in production for 35 years, retiring in 1988. She's so happy to see us, remarking how we're a bit late. I tell her it's my fault, as I was having such fun talking to everyone. Luckily, my sidekick for the day knows there are still some hungry folks out there to get to. Before we leave, I offer her a copy of Lehigh Valley Style and she replies with an affirmative headshake, saying she just loves to read. That's music to my ears, Pat!
With our mission for today complete, we head back to the Meals on Wheels home base. It is obvious we both realize how lucky we are, as we discuss how ironic life can be and how important it is to have someone in your corner. Since 1972, Meals on Wheels has been that someone. You can be that someone, too! Sign up to deliver meals at Meals On Wheels, Northampton County. It's an awesome way to pass the time!
I smile as I look at my nametag for the day. It certainly didn't take 11 deliveries for me to realize who the real community champion is here.
Thanks, Ed Racz for all you do. You make the Lehigh Valley a better place!
