The lasting friendship between Cheryl and Delinda illustrates the connection between giving back to one’s community and feeding one’s soul.
What does it mean when a person says “I want to give back?” Every one of our 500 volunteers has their own story to tell. For two of the sandwich and food line volunteers who have been with us for over five years, their stories are very different, but also very similar.
Delinda Lis, raised three daughters in our beautiful area, and started with MOW through the National Charity League. This program has mothers and daughters serve in philanthropic areas in their community. For Delinda it was a great way to spend time with her daughters and teach them the value of giving back and investing in where they lived. Once Delinda’s girls grew, she had more time to commit to a regular schedule of volunteering, and MOW was a great fit.
For Cheryl Pottharst, it was a combination of having too much time on her hands and knowing people who worked at Meals on Wheels. With over 35 years’ experience as a florist driving a route from the peninsula to the San Francisco Flower mart, Cheryl needed to find something valuable to occupy her time during retirement. A stop in to MOW one day to visit a friend led to becoming a volunteer.
Cheryl and Delinda have shared the same shift for years and along with the rest of the early morning crew, they became known as the “A Team.” Along with the rest of the 32 sandwich and food line volunteers, they are the morning heartbeat of the kitchen. On a double meal day each Friday, they orchestrate the making of over 900 sandwiches as they sing along to the oldies.
