MOTIONSPRING 2023 - INSIDE What Is Motion? The Marathon Man 4-5 Love in Motion 3
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MOTION SPRING 2023 INSIDE What Is Motion? 3 The Marathon Man 4-5 Love in Motion 6-8
INTRODUCING
MOTION
MEET THE TEAM behind the scenes
Kevin Carillo
Chief Development Officer
503.736.6325
Jeremy James Cochran
Director of Marketing
& Communications
503.953.8105
Kelsey Allen
Communications
Specialist
503.953.8152
Nicole Ceron
Social Media
Specialist
503.953.8134
WHAT IS MOTION?
Welcome to the first issue of stifle the economy by limiting and their achievements. You’ll
Motion. At Meals on Wheels the participation of older discover people who embody
People, we’re not only reimaging workers, despite their years of the idea that getting older is
our quarterly newsletter – we’re experience. And it can leave merely the beginning. You’ll
reimagining aging. our aging neighbors alone, meet older adults who are
forgotten, and hungry. volunteers, caregivers, age
Older adults have always been advocates, movement builders,
a vital source of strength and It’s time to celebrate older and contributors to our society.
resilience: Benjamin Franklin adults – not only because And you can join the movement
was 70 when he signed the they’re our loved ones, friends, of people who are providing our
Declaration of Independence. mentors, essential workers, older adults with the support
Susan B. Anthony was past the volunteers, and neighbors but and services they need to thrive.
age of 80 when she formed the also because they contribute
International Woman Suffrage their time and wisdom to make Let’s be inspired by the
Alliance. Estella Mims Pyfrom our communities stronger, more resilience, wisdom, and vitality
started a mobile learning lab informed, and better connected. of older adults and let their
for underserved and under- Older adults took care of us stories be a catalyst for change.
resourced communities at 72. At when we needed them. Now it’s Together, let’s create a world
age 87, Pablo Picasso produced our turn to pay it forward. where aging is celebrated and
347 engravings in one year. We believe that behind every we are all empowered to live our
At 90 years old, University of one of our meals is a neighbor best lives.
Minnesota professor Leonid with a story to tell, and we
Hurwicz won the Nobel Prize in want to provide the platform
economics. Harriette Thompson that helps them share their
completed her 15th marathon at experiences, insights, and
91. wisdom with the world. We
believe in taking action to Suzanne Washington
Yet over 80% of older Americans support one another, and we CEO, Meals on Wheels People
have been subjected to ageist encourage our readers to renew
stereotypes. Older adults are their commitment to honoring
generally portrayed as sick, frail, our aging neighbors by giving
and physically dependent on them the care, support, and
others. When we perpetuate respect they deserve. We all
the stereotype that older adults benefit when older adults
are helpless, it hurts us all, as remain engaged, independent,
individuals and communities: and included.
It can trigger stress, anxiety,
and depression in older This is what Motion is all about.
adults who internalize these Motion is a collection of stories
negative messages. It can about unstoppable older adults
Suzanne Washington Help an old!er
Chief Executive Officer
adult now
The Marathon Man People. Bill has been receiving
meal deliveries since.
How Meals on Wheels People and a lifetime of fitness keeps the
“If I didn’t have Meals on
100-year-old founder of the Portland Marathon going strong
Wheels, it would be much
more difficult,” said Bill, who
By Bill’s last year as race director insists on meeting the delivery
in 1976, the marathon had grown driver at their car to collect
to over 400 finishers, establishing his meals each week. “The
the race as one of the top five in only trouble I have is that new
the country based on number of drivers sometimes don’t follow
participants. instructions, and they get out of
their car and bring the meals to
But Bill wasn’t done running. my door. And I don’t want that
Co-founders of the Oregon because it’s needless for them
Road Runners Club, he and to go to that extra work. It cuts
Ken continued to organize runs, down on the number of people
Bill Gorman has run marathons including a popular 17-mile run on that they can service. And I’m
in Hawaii and Canada. But one the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park. very pleased to go down and
of the most memorable was on By the time he hung up his laces in to get the meals. It gives me a
Sauvie Island in 1972. He and his sixties, he’d run 49 marathons. chance to get out.”
his friend Ken Weidkamp had
spent the past year planning the “Running a marathon is While Bill takes pride in starting
very first Portland Marathon. The challenging,” Bill said. “The big one of the longest-running
morning of the race, Bill awoke thing with running a marathon is consecutive marathons in the
to two inches of snow on the you have to be properly prepared. U.S., his greatest sense of
ground. No matter how prepared you are, accomplishment comes from
usually the last few miles are a being an athlete: “I have no
“Of course, this complicated difficult situation. But you get used doubt that if it weren’t for my
things, but resourceful runners to it.” athletic endeavors and if it
always leap to the fore,” he said. weren’t for running, I wouldn’t be
What Bill has had a harder here today.”
At 100 years old -- “which time getting used to is driving
makes me just about middle retirement. Although he’d never Bill was recognized at the sixth
age,” he joked -- Bill knows a been in an accident – “and I Stride for Seniors April 15 at the
little something about being fancied myself as a better-than- Portland International Raceway.
resourceful. adequate driver,” he said – his Since its inception, Stride for
children and doctor recommended Seniors has grown to become
When he and Ken set out to find he stop driving about five years the largest walk addressing food
a course for the first marathon, ago. insecurity and social isolation
they were initially turned down experienced by older adults in
by Portland city officials. “Well, “I have not adjusted to it yet,” said the nation. Right now, at least
Ken and I decided that maybe Bill, who was working out at 24 1 out of every 10 seniors in
there were other ways,” Bill Hour Fitness three times a week Oregon may not know where
recalled. at the time. “I still miss my car. I’m their next meal is coming from,
kind of stuck.” and many more are suffering
With scenic beauty and fairly from isolation. Through
flat roads, Sauvie Island was an The senior living community where our network of programs,
ideal location. Over 170 people he was living didn’t have a dining volunteers, and partners, Meals
completed the first Portland room, so a friend suggested Bill on Wheels People is there day
Marathon in November 1972. reach out to Meals on Wheels
in and day out for older adults
who might otherwise be alone,
forgotten, or hungry. We’re there
for Katherine, whose hands
created many masterpieces but
can no longer open a can of
soup. For Wanda, the one-time
social butterfly who spends her
days alone because she’s unable
to leave her home. For George,
the former serviceman who’s no
longer strong enough to be on
watch for his own safety. And
for Bill, the Portland Marathon
founder who retired from driving
but not from life.
“Meals on Wheels has done a
very beautiful job of making life
a lot more enjoyable for many,
many, many people,” Bill said.
To honor Bill and ensure that
other homebound seniors
receive the nutrition, friendly
chats, and social connections
they need to thrive at home,
donate today: mowp.org
STRIDE for
SENIORS
That’s a wrap!
Thank you to everyone who came out to
Portland International Raceway on April 15,
2023! Our sixth annual Stride for Seniors
was a fun-filled success. We look forward to
seeing everyone next year!
From Mailman to Meal Man
Dave McGann spent 44 years know it,” Dave said. “Everybody
delivering mail out of the Kenton helped each other.”
and St. Johns post offices. When
Love in he retired in 2005, he spent
three weeks “sitting around
Over Dave’s 18 years with Meals
on Wheels People, he’s done more
Motion watching the grass grow” before
he went looking for another job.
than just deliver meals. He’ll never
forget showing up at Mrs. Rose’s
Someone once said A fellow church member told house, knocking on the door, and
volunteers are love Dave about Meals on Wheels hearing her scream. “I started
in motion. No one People, and Dave thought he banging on the windows,” he
exemplifies that more was uniquely qualified to deliver recalled. “I got around to the back
than our volunteers, meals. “I know the whole area,” and heard Mrs. Rose yelling. She’d
whether they’re he told the staffer at Charles fallen in the tub and couldn’t get
preparing or delivering Jordan Community Center. up.” Dave called 911, and firetrucks
a meal, providing a “Maybe I could help you out?” arrived minutes later. “She gave
friendly visit, or offering me a hug, and I was off on my
a safety check to older Initially, Dave signed up to way.”
adults who may not deliver one day a week. But he
have contact with loved it so much, that soon, he During the pandemic, Dave took
another person all day. was volunteering every day. a pause from meal delivery and
They work to make sure “I’d go into someone’s home started making wellness check-
that the people who and come away feeling better in calls with the Friendly Chats
took care of us aren’t myself,” Dave said. “I was program. He enjoyed connecting
left behind, forgotten, helping them, but I was helping with people, many of whom he
or hungry and instead myself, too. It recharged my knew from delivering meals. “I got
are able to live out batteries.” carried away – but some of the
the independent lives people got carried away, too,” he
they deserve and feel Dave’s favorite part is getting to said with a laugh. “I apologized for
nourished through know the people on his route. talking too much, but I knew the
the kind of life-giving “Just like carrying mail, you ones who were sitting there by
connections that help get attached to these people,” themselves. One old me, ‘Ya know,
them thrive. he said. “It’s more than being Dave, if you didn’t call me, no one
customers. They’re like family.” would call me.’ It’s sad.”
April is National
Volunteer Month, and Giving back is important to Dave. These days, Dave is back to
we’re celebrating Dave grew up in North Portland driving routes twice a week. But
some of the people with four siblings. His parents the 81-year-old doesn’t think about
who are standing up divorced when he was in third it as a job: “You’re just helping
for those who might grade, and they relied on the people. It’s important that we’re
otherwise be left out, support of their neighbors. “We doing this. We ought to take care
isolated, or alone. were poor kids, but we didn’t of our neighbors.”
Fueled by empathy,
interdependence, and
the inherent worthiness
of all, these volunteers
make a meaningful
difference in our
community.
We Need Volunteers!
You can give back and change connect with Joan, my delivery our volunteer family and help
the life of an older adult in your volunteer. She always makes me change a life, one meal and
community. We need volunteers feel so special when she takes friendly connection at a time.
to provide critical support to the the extra time to talk with me
older adults we serve. each week.” Visit mowp.org/volunteer or
reach our volunteer coordinator
As one client shared: “Weekly Get involved as a meal delivery at volunteer.coordinator@
meal deliveries have been driver or volunteer from home mowp.org
life-changing for my health. I through our Friendly Chats
also really love the time I get to program. Become a part of
Pedaling with Purpose
Like many Portlanders, Bruce said. “I switched completely said. “It anchors my week. I’ve
McCormmach biked to work for over to bicycles.” Every year for got something to look forward
45 years. So when the Bicycle the past 27 years, he and some to. It’s special to me. A lot of
Commuting Committee at friends have taken weeklong these people I’ve been seeing
Conway Freight chose Meals on treks across sections Oregon, for almost a decade. You know
Wheels People as its community Washington, Idaho, and British these people. You understand
outreach partner, he didn’t think Columbia (some of their travels their circumstances. You can tell
twice about delivering meals are chronicled in the book Small if there are problems. You get
via bike instead of car. The Towns & Open Roads, by the attuned to that. That’s important.
committee donated two bicycle local author and retired attorney That’s part of the job. And part
trailers to MOWP, and every Greg Mowe, available exclusively of the reward of doing the
other Wednesday during his at Wallace Books). And for 17 deliveries.”
lunch hour, Bruce would load up years, Bruce and his daughter
the trailer with meals, fruits, and commuted to work together. Bruce knows how important the
other essentials and pedal his “It was a lot of great daddy- meals, social connection, and
way through his downtown route. daughter time,” he said. wellness and safety checks are
“Everybody was used to seeing to the people he delivers to.
me show up in my bike gear,” When the pandemic changed His dad received meals through
Bruce said. how MOWP delivers meals, so Meals on Wheels People. “It was
did Bruce. “I couldn’t get 50 a big part of his day – having
Bruce wasn’t always a biker. He meals on the bicycle anymore.” the volunteer stop by,” Bruce
started running, and even ran Now he delivers his route via said. “Volunteering has been
against acclaimed track star car, and now that he’s retired, he a chance for me to pay it back
Steve Prefontaine in high school. does so weekly. for everything they’d done for
But when his friend brought a my dad those years when it got
19-pound Peugeot from Europe, “When you’re retired, you’re meals.”
“I never ran another step,” Bruce looking for things to do,” he
Stitching Together a Stronger Community
Darien Reece has been a recipes, learned about the They’re dirty -- and then they’re
supporter of Meals on Wheels benefits of tea tree oil, and clean.”
People for a long time. But she compared notes on trips to
didn’t have time to volunteer Arizona. “They seem to really When she notices a hole, she
until she retired from her role as appreciate having someone to takes the bag home and stiches
senior materials researcher at chat to.” it back together with brightly
Nike in 2019. She signed up to colored thread. “They’re franken-
be a substitute driver in March A few months later, Darien baggy,” joked Darien, who grew
2020 and completed one route started volunteering with the up in a family of quilters and
before the lockdown. Meals 4 Kids program, which spent her career working with
delivers nutritious meals, milk, textiles.
So that April, she started bread, and fresh fruit directly to
making Wellness Check calls the homes of children families in Darien and her husband, Jeff,
-- structured safety calls to need in Portland and Gresham. are now also drivers for Meals 4
homebound older adults to Working alongside staff and Kids: “He’s the driver, and I’m the
check in on their welfare. They other volunteers, she helps clean door person,” she said. “I love it.
often talked about more than the cooler bags. “It’s fun!” she It’s not just about the food. It’s
wellness, though. “They could said. “You talk to people. It’s a about the connection.”
make movies of their lives,” little monotonous, but you have
Darien said. She’s received a sense of accomplishment:
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