It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since the pandemic forever changed the way Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula operated and how we deliver meals. One of the biggest shifts was how our drivers interacted with clients.
What was once a meaningful moment of conversation while unloading meals had to shift to a contactless handoff with meals passed to clients in brown paper bags for everyone’s health and safety. Today we can enter homes again, but the convenience of the bag remains.
In 2025, MOWMP was serving 350–400 clients each day. That number has now grown to over 600. With each meal needing its own handled paper bag, the demand for bag support skyrocketed. A plea went out asking for help. Many bag donations began to pour in—helping us meet this sudden and urgent need. That’s how the “Bag People” volunteer group was born.
Jane Brown of Monarch Pines Mobile Home Park—just steps away from our Community Center—was approached about helping organize the bags. With enthusiasm and heart, she gathered a team of dedicated neighbors who now meet three times a week to fold, sort, and prepare over 500 bags for the next day’s deliveries.
Here’s the amazing team behind the bags:
• Monday: Bruce Tripp, Marlena Tumlin, Matt Veitenheimer, Bob Banks
• Wednesday: Shelly Tinsley, Julie Galvin, Bobbie Belvel
• Friday: Jill Houlette, Bob Carlos, Sandy Hatfield
They are supported by a wonderful group of substitute volunteers: Suzanne Riley, Aneeta Schober, Linda Downum, Skip Wilkins, and Su Suh.
Each week, this team devotes 1–2 hours per shift, ensuring that every single bag is ready to carry 3 meals for the day—and a reminder that someone cares. As Jane says, “The MOWMP staff is encouraging and appreciative of the efforts of these volunteers.”
We’re so grateful to Jane and the entire Monarch Pines crew for stepping in—and stepping up—when we needed them most. Thank you for folding with love and helping us nourish lives, one bag at a time.