PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Sitting in Rhunette Steward’s living room, we talked about her years living in Pinellas County.
“So many years that I can’t even recall,” said Steward.
As we chatted, Val Taylor sat nearby.
WATCH Local nonprofit in need of donations, volunteers to serve Pinellas seniors
“She really seems like a sister to me. The sister that I never had,” said Steward.
For Steward, this is what she likes to do best with her "sister," Taylor— just sitting and talking.
“I just love coming here, we talk, and yes, I am her extended sister,” said Taylor.
The two met through Neighborly Senior Care Network’s Meals on Wheels program—something Steward never thought she’d need.
“As my situation progressed, some days I didn’t eat until maybe one meal a day,” said Steward.
That’s because her pain was so bad, it would hurt to stand and cook, and driving became just as painful.
“It continued to get worse and worse,” said Steward.
That’s when she turned to Neighborly for help.
“I don’t have to wait now to eat,” said Steward.
It’s more than just the meals that mean so much.
“The meal in itself is important to me because of the people who deliver it,” said Steward.
People like Taylor. She’s been a volunteer for years.
“Most of the seniors that we deliver to are independent, they’re by themselves, and they look forward to seeing us. It’s another human being, it’s somebody looking out to make sure that they’re okay,” said Taylor.
Neighborly is a nonprofit providing different types of senior care, including adult day centers, transportation, and food to people across Pinellas County.
Just last year, more than 500,000 Meals on Wheels lunches were delivered to seniors in Pinellas County.
“We’re still the primary provider of care for seniors in Pinellas County,” said David Lomaka, Executive Director of Neighborly.
With the cost of meals rising and inconsistent government funding, it’s growing more difficult for Neighborly to serve as many people as they’d like.
“That’s our challenge. That’s kind of why we’re here, why I’m here to help find those funds and build those relationships,” said Lomaka.
The waiting list of seniors needing home meal deliveries continues to grow— it’s currently at more than 500 seniors needing meals.
“That’s in addition to the open routes we currently have. Our greatest need right now is in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and the Largo-Seminole region of the county,” said Hilary Justice, volunteer coordinator.
Neighborly is also low on volunteers right now, which impacts how many people they’re able to feed.
“This time of year, we experience a loss of about a third of our volunteers. The snowbirds depart for cooler climates for the summer, and we are also faced with volunteers who take extended vacations during the summer. So it’s really important that we ensure that our seniors continue to get food, and so the needs for volunteers are particularly urgent at this time,” said Justice.
Because it’s not just the food they need.
“The food is almost secondary,” said Justice.
“We’ve heard lots of studies about how isolation impacts people as much as smoking cigarettes does,” said Lomaka.
It’s the companionship that’s as important, just ask Steward and Taylor.
“I look forward to it,” said Steward.
“I would recommend volunteering to anyone. It’ll lighten your day. It’ll enhance your world,” said Taylor.
For information on how to volunteer or donate, click here.
