POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Loneliness and isolation can make the holiday season hard for older adults.
Peggy Hatfield has had a series of heart attacks that have left her homebound.
“I just couldn’t cook anymore to make a big meal," Hatfield said. "I'm in bed most of the time. I just got out of the hospital with another heart attack."
The holidays can be a tough time for seniors like Hatfield, who have lost loved ones and are experiencing isolation.
“Basically, I'm alone," she said. "My sister-in-law comes over once in a while."
Every day, a volunteer from Meals on Wheels of Polk County brings Hatfield a hot meal. The program prepares and delivers about 120,000 meals to seniors across the county annually.
“When COVID hit, we almost doubled the number of meals that we delivered, and it hasn’t really backed off,” said Remington Brown, a Meals on Wheels volunteer.
Meals on Wheels is delivering much more than meals. Part of their mission is to have daily contact with the homebound. It is just as important, if not more so, than the meal itself.
“It’s companionship, it’s interaction," Brown said. "Everybody needs some sort of contact."
Sometimes, it's the only interaction a person will have all day.
“They’re all sweet," Hatfield said of Meals on Wheels. "They are all just as nice as they can be.”
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