VOLUNTEERING COUPLE DELIVERS MEALS WITH A SIDE OF SMILES

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honorees Jeff and Paddie Trick. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Jeff and Paddie Trick are delivering meals, but they’re really bringing so much more to their clients. The dynamic duo wanted to make the most of their retirement and decided that helping others in their Texas community was the best way to pay it forward. When Jeff retired from his career, Paddie encouraged him to pursue volunteer work to stay busy. When she retired from her job a few years later, she was ready to join in as well. Together, the couple is active volunteers with IM Houston’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers warm, nutritious meals and friendly visits to senior neighbors, ensuring they remain healthy, happy and independent in their own homes.

On Tuesday mornings, Jeff and Paddie arrive at their local church, which is about a mile or two from their home. They’re given boxes of frozen food that will accommodate each client for five days, but larger amounts are sometimes given in the case that an emergency is expected, like a hurricane. Together, Jeff and Paddie follow a strategic route, visiting their clients’ houses from house to house. At each stop, they drop off the food, but they also serve as an important point of connection to the outside world for people who often don’t have the ability to get out of their homes. Whether it’s just introducing Jeff and Paddie to their pets or chatting about their families, Jeff and Paddie serve as a vital lifeline and source of companionship for people who often severely need one. That conversation is a touchstone for each client, providing not only the nutrition and health benefits of a solid diet, but the emotional connection of true friendship.

Jeff and Paddie’s story of pursuing an active volunteer life is a great example of how being of service is a wonderful pursuit for anyone looking to stay active during retirement. Not only are the couple keeping their bodies and minds active, but they’re also helping others, and that’s something that fills them both with a lot of satisfaction. It’s an important lesson for anyone looking to help others, no matter one’s age.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

Paddie: Jeff had retired, and then, according to me, he didn’t have enough to do. I knew about working with Meals on Wheels, and so I suggested that he maybe look into that. I was working part-time, and my days were different. So Jeff checked into that.

Jeff: I trained and did a winter class, and then I started doing it in 2014.
Paddie: Then I retired at the end of 2016, so I took a class, and we did it together.

What inspires you to volunteer?

Paddie: I just knew that we had the time to do it, and it would be good for someone else, and it would be good for us.

Jeff: A lot of those people really need that. They need the food, but they also need the people talking to them.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Meals on Wheels of IM Houston.

Paddie: The people we volunteer with are all very nice. We meet up at a church, and we make a big, long line. And then Todd Rosen from Interfaith Ministries comes in a van, and he’s got all of his boxes of food. We enjoy getting the boxes and talking to everyone, and Todd. Then we have to hop in the car and take off. The instructions just come on our phone. We figure out what order we should be going in. The clients put in an order. It’s nice to talk to people.

Jeff: All the people are very friendly. They’re glad to see us and glad to have the food delivered. That’s rewarding. It makes you feel good because you’re helping other people.

What are your long-term plans or goals for volunteering?

Paddie: Well, I plan to keep doing it. The people are all very nice.
Jeff: As long as we keep doing it, it gives us something to do, and it’s an incentive to get yourself out and get going and get things done that need to be getting done. The people are all very appreciative, because a lot of those people really need the food, and that’s really important. It makes your heart feel good because you’re helping them, and that’s important.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Paddie: Talking to the people. They’re just so thankful and nice about it.

Jeff: Talking to them, and they’re glad to see you, and they’re happy to get the food. And that really makes you feel good when you’re trying to help someone else. They need the food, and they need people talking to them.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

Jeff: To be patient and be kind to people. Because sometimes, maybe they don’t have many people around them and they need people to talk to, so to be patient with them, listen to them, and be encouraging to them is showing that we care. We’re here to help them.

Paddie: Jeff’s a big talker. I’m not. So I’ve appreciated the people who are talkers, so we don’t try to rush or anything. They’re all appreciative, and they’re all glad we’re there, and that works out fine.

Why do you think it’s important for others to get involved with causes that they care about?

Paddie: People need help at different times. We have a big arboretum here in Houston, and when we volunteered there for about a year, helping to build trails, they were very appreciative. Our son was a Boy Scout, and he asked them if they needed anything done, and he made bird houses. It’s something that we know is needed for some people, and we can do it.

Jeff: It’s a way to help other people out who really need it, and you feel good about it. Paddie feels good about it. I feel good about it. And the people that we deliver to, they’re friendly, and they are very appreciative of what we’re doing by delivering meals for them, which is important.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Paddie: Some things are needed all over, and surely you can find one that you can connect with and like to do. Just know that there are many opportunities out there, especially in larger areas. There are different places you can surely find something that appeals to you.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Jeff and Paddie? Find local volunteer opportunities.