For 25 years, Pam L. has been a steady presence behind the scenes of WesleyLife Meals on Wheels, connecting people to services, supporting residents and their families, and helping ensure no one is overlooked.
It’s work that requires patience, instinct, and a wealth of knowledge built over time. And for Pam, it's personal.
“I found what I was meant to do by accident, but I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Pam says. “It’s a big part of who I am.”
That sense of purpose was not cultivated overnight. In 2001, Pam joined the organization that evolved into Meals on Wheels, starting out in a different capacity. She stayed in her first role for six months, then transferred to scheduling.
In 2003, she moved to the role that evolved into her current one.
“That’s when everything began to click,” she says. "I knew I had found my home."
Finding Purpose in the Work
Today, in her role as intake coordinator for Meals on Wheels, Pam handles far more than paperwork and scheduling. For many, she’s the warm, capable, and even life-changing voice that connects the nuts and bolts of the program with a warm meal placed in the hands of a person who needs one.
“My job is to talk with people, understand what they need, and help them get connected to services,” Pam says. “That includes doing intake assessments, helping with enrollment, and figuring out if they qualify for assistance.”
Her communication skills are a benefit to her role, and to the people she serves.
“A big part of what I do is comply conversing with the people on the phone; clients and families have to be able to trust me to know I'm going to help them," Pam says. "I spend a lot of time trying to make them feel at ease and to explain how all the pieces fit together."
In reality, she does far more, though: Pam often functions as an intermediary to help drivers determine whether something might be amiss with a client.
“Drivers will call from a route and say, 'Mary isn’t herself today,’” Pam says. “When that happens, I follow up by calling the family and make sure they know what’s going on. Often, the client is ill and needs medical attention.
"Families really rely on those daily check-ins; a lot of them don’t live nearby, and they all have busy lives. Besides the meals we deliver, the drivers check on our clients' well-being. And knowing someone is checking in every day gives their families peace of mind.”
Growing With the Program
Over the years, Pam has seen Meals on Wheels evolve in ways she never could have imagined.
“When I started, everything was paper,” Pam says. "We used a DOS-based system, printed route sheets, and everyone got the same meal.
"Today, the process looks very different. Now drivers have routes on their smartphones. We use technology that makes everything more efficient and helps us serve people better.”
How the program serve has changed, but the foundation of who it serves has shifted as well, Pam notes.
“Our clients used to be mostly older adults in their late 70s or 80s; now we’re seeing more younger people, and many with serious health conditions or disabilities," Pam says.
She added one recent experience will stay with her: “We had a 42-year-old man with advanced ALS who couldn’t use his hands, so he needed help with everything, starting from the simple act of opening the meal. It's humbling to know we are helping in a situation like that."
The degree of need may be changing, but the purpose is not, Pam says; "We’re still here to make sure people are cared for, and for them to know they are not alone."
The Power of Experience
Having honed her role for 25 years, Pam brings unique characteristics to the job, including deep, hard-earned, experienced-based knowledge.
"I may not be as credentialed as some others, but when you’ve been here this long, you just know things,” she says. "You know who to call, how to help, and how to connect people with the right resources.”
That might mean helping someone get a ramp installed, coordinating care after an emergency, or connecting a client with groceries or hygiene supplies.
“A lot of it comes from building relationships and learning from the people around you," Pam says. "I learn something every day, and I've never been too proud to call someone and say. 'Hey, how do I do such-and-such?'"
Pam stresses that her mindset shapes that approach.
“I’m a glass-half-full person,” she says. “This work can be hard on you emotionally, but you can always find something good and meaningful about it.
"This might be the only meal some people might get all day. It might be someone's only chance to connect with another person. Ultimately, what we do might help save a life. We had a driver find a woman recently who had fallen and had been on the floor overnight. I'm a part of that assistance. That makes everything worth it."
A Commitment That Continues
Pam is quick to recognize the colleagues, volunteers, and others who help her do what she does.
“Besides the people who cook and deliver the meals, and all the others behind the scenes, we couldn’t do this without donors,” Pam says. “When I started out, donations were not such a big part of things; now, so many people read about us and are moved to be a part of what we do.
"They are committed to help others, and It's wonderful. They let us serve more people who need us, and that's what we're all about."
And after 25 years, Pam's own commitment remains steady as well.
“I feel the way I've always felt: that I plan to stay here as long as I can keep making a difference,” she says.
Learn how you, too, can make a difference for those in need; visit wesleylife.org/foundation today learn about our impact areas and ways to support them.