A Meals on Wheels recipient for about a year, 82-year-old Evelyn Brown is grateful for the daily delivery of lunch and dinner for her and her husband, who are on disability and have little money to buy groceries. “The delivery people come every day, and they are delightful. They make you feel like the day is always sunny,” said Brown, of Thousand Oaks. “And the food is delicious. They really go out of their way to make it good for us.” On Wednesday, Brown was among three recipients who received a food delivery from Claudia Bill-de la Peña, the mayor of Thousand Oaks, and Andrea Gallagher, president of Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks. “The mayor is wonderful for doing this. It means she cares,” Brown said. “Caring, as you get older, is the most beautiful thing that there is.” Wednesday’s effort was part of national Mayors for Meals Day sponsored by the Meals on Wheels Association of America. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña (left) greets Carl Taylor and his son-in-law Gordon Faerber at the Taylor home in Thousand Oaks for national Mayors for Meals Day. “The city is interested in addressing senior hunger, a serious problem in many communities,” Bill-de la Peña said. Prior to making the food deliveries Wednesday, Bill-de la Peña took a tour of Senior Concerns, where she presented a proclamation from the city of Thousand Oaks recognizing March 20 as Meals on Wheels Day. “Senior Concerns is a partner in the National March for Meals campaign, sponsored by the Meals on Wheels Association of America,” Bill-de la Peña said. “The proclamation will help bring awareness to the problem, help with fundraising and hopefully recruit volunteers to help the cause.” The proclamation recognizes the role Senior Concerns has played in the Conejo Valley bringing freshly prepared, nutritious meals to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels, Gallagher said. “This proclamation will help raise awareness of the program in the Conejo Valley and, we hope, encourage more seniors to enroll and encourage others to donate to support this program,” she said. Senior Concerns never turns anyone away regardless of the ability to pay, Gallagher said. “If a senior cannot afford the daily fee of $9.45, we provide full and partial scholarships.” KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR The Meals on Wheels items for Marlene Schneider that are delivered in person by Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña rest on the kitchen counter. Schneider showed the mayor around her home. Every day, more than 5,000 seniors in Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park struggle to put the right food on their tables, Gallagher said. Last year, Senior Concerns served approximately 250 people and delivered more than 45,000 meals to seniors who are unable to purchase and prepare meals for themselves. “Some clients have been recently released from the hospital and during recovery are unable to drive or cook for themselves,” said Gallagher, adding that other clients are low-income seniors who simply do not have the money to purchase and prepare nutritious meals. Seniors often must make the conscious choice between medicine, utilities, rent and food, she said. “Often, to save money, the choice is made to skip meals or seek out less-expensive, less-nutritious meals,” she said. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Andrea Gallagher (left), president of Senior Concerns, gives Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña (center) a tour of Senor Concerns, where Lucy Champagne greets the two on Wednesday. For 84-year-old Carl Taylor, who also received his food delivery Wednesday from the mayor and Gallagher, Meals on Wheels offers peace of mind, said his daughter and caretaker, Carlene Faerber, of Oxnard. “Dad wants to be as independent as possible, but he doesn’t always eat if he doesn’t have meals prepared ahead of time,” said Faerber, whose father has dementia. “Meals on Wheels is very much a peace-of-mind service. You know that he’s got food. He has to choose to eat it, but it’s there.” More …
