August 2018

“I don’t think I could make it without Meals on Wheels. It’s a blessing. My social worker – she’s like a daughter to me.” -Maggie, 92 years old

These were some of the last words Maggie shared with us before she died last month. One of her final wishes was to pass away peacefully in her own home, surrounded by her loving family. Thanks to a wonderful team of social workers, medical professionals, volunteers, and home repair specialists, Maggie’s wish came true. As the widow of a World War II Veteran, she received funds from the Home Depot Foundation and other charitable organizatoins to pay for critical medical needs as well as home and safety repairs. She was proud of her husband’s service and very grateful for the support she received to allow her to remain in her own home.

Maggie loved San Francisco and never wanted to leave. She worked as a photo specialist at Walgreens for 34 years before retiring at the age of 86. “I taught people how to take pictures,” she said. In his seminal book “Being Mortal,” the author Atul Gawande states, “Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end.” Maggie, like millions of seniors around the country, fulfilled this goal through the loving support of her family as well as a dedicated safety net that offered wholistic solutions to medical, safety, and nutritional needs common among aging adults. Here at Meals on Wheels, we are grateful for the lessons we learn from seniors like Maggie, who fulfill the great goal of living a good life right up until the very end.