Having retired from his career in IT, John Isakson needed a new reason to get up and dressed every day.
“You have to have a reason to get up every morning,” said John, our final Volunteer of the Quarter for 2019.
For nearly six years, that reason has been the people served by Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels. At least three times a week, John accompanies a YMOW Client Care Associate on a delivery route.
John knew of Meals on Wheels and the role it plays in the lives of seniors even before he first walked through YMOW’s doors. His own mother was a meal recipient. It’s people like his mom – local seniors in need of food and a friendly visit – that keep John reporting to YMOW.
“Some of these people I’ve been visiting for years,” he said. Food is the primary purpose of every YMOW visit, but John said he tries to take a few minutes to chat or to perform a small favor.
“They don’t ask a whole lot of you,” he said. Just a kind word and a smile are often all it takes to make a real difference in someone’s day.