Guilford Meals on Wheels Preps 600 Seniors for Winter Storm

When icy roads threatened to leave hundreds of seniors without food this week, Meals on Wheels volunteers in Guilford County, North Carolina, sprang into action with a simple plan: deliver early, deliver extra, and ask neighbors for help.

Senior Resources of Guilford serves 600 seniors every weekday across Greensboro, High Point, and surrounding communities. With a winter storm bringing dangerous ice and bitter cold this weekend, the organization made the call to suspend Monday deliveries and instead packed extra frozen meals into Friday's routes.

"We're sending out a frozen meal in place of that Monday meal today," said Dallas Weaver, chief operating officer of Senior Resources of Guilford. The decision ensures no senior goes hungry, even if volunteers can't safely drive.

For many recipients, these daily deliveries mean more than just food. Volunteer Faye Basto has been making rounds since before the pandemic and knows the visits often provide the only human contact some seniors receive all day.

"I have one Miss Bessie who looked real sad one day and said, 'I need a hug,' and I love being the one there to give her that," Basto said. She's seen firsthand what's at stake when weather disrupts the routine: seniors living alone, often with little food stored at home.

The organization plans to make day-by-day decisions as the storm unfolds. Volunteer Jim Otwell expects Tuesday to pose the biggest challenge as ice accumulates overnight.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story warm the heart isn't just the logistics of frozen meal distribution. It's volunteers like Faye who understand they're delivering connection alongside casseroles, checking on people who might otherwise go days without seeing another face.

It's an organization that knows its 600 daily recipients by name and circumstance, planning ahead so a weather event doesn't become a crisis. And it's a community being asked to step up with four-wheel-drive vehicles and a couple of hours to spare, turning neighbors into lifelines.

Now Senior Resources of Guilford needs more people willing to brave the cold. The organization is asking anyone with a safe vehicle and one to two hours to contact their volunteer coordinator at 336-339-2542. Routes are manageable, and the impact is immediate.

"It's not just a hot meal," Weaver said. "It's a friendly visit and a way to make sure someone is doing OK, especially during extreme weather."

When the ice melts and roads clear, these seniors will remember who showed up.