The morning sun filters through the windows of the Meals on Wheels (MOW) in Englewood headquarters, casting a warm glow over a room that serves as the heartbeat of the entire operation.
Kathleen Macklin, the director of the program, stands by the entrance with a welcoming smile that is as much a part of the building as the foundation itself. For Kathy, this isn’t just an office or a distribution center; it is a sanctuary of service, a place where the simple act of packing a bag transforms into a lifeline for the community.
“This is the room where it all begins,” Kathy explains, gesturing to the bustling hub where volunteers were already hard at work preparing trays for delivery.
More volunteers arrive for the day. “When our volunteers first arrive, this is their home base. It’s where the logistics of the day meet the heart of our mission.”
Against one wall stand the “cold coolers,” heavy-duty units that are already humming with activity. Today, staff pack them with fresh cups of fruit, chill them, and get them ready for delivery. Nearby, stacks of bread loaves reach toward the ceiling. Every client receives a loaf of bread each week, a small but significant staple that ensures no one goes hungry between deliveries.
Beside the bread sits the morning’s fresh treat: golden, oversized muffins. These extras, Kathy noted, are in addition to the hot meals currently being prepared in the kitchen.
The atmosphere in the room is electric yet organized. Drivers don’t just grab their bags and go; they gather together. On a central table, a spread of snacks awaits them, providing a moment of fuel before they head out on their routes. This waiting period serves a dual purpose. They check their clipboards for updates, noting which clients are receiving meals that day or if anyone reported illness. They also check in with each other.
“The drivers trickle in around 9:45,” Kathy says, her eyes scanning the familiar faces. “Some come at 10:00, others at 10:15. Many of them arrive early just to meet their friends. Over the years, this has become more than just a volunteer job for them; it’s a community. They’ve made lifelong friends here while pursuing a shared mission.”
As the clock ticks toward 10:30, the first wave of departures draws near. Staff members are busy wheeling out the hot meals from the kitchen, lining them up with loving precision so the drivers can load their vehicles efficiently. There are nine routes, each one a carefully mapped journey through the neighborhoods of the community, serving on average 170 people.
Kathy’s own journey with Meals on Wheels began years ago, though the exact date sometimes feels like a blur of seasons and smiles. “My husband and I think we started back in 2017,” she recalls. “We began as drivers, and that’s a role we’ve never been willing to give up.”
Even as the Director, Kathy and her husband still take to the streets to deliver meals themselves. To her, the administrative work is necessary, but the “whole point” is the human connection: the five-minute conversation at a front door, the hand on a shoulder, and the reassurance that someone cares.
Delivering food is just the start for these volunteers. They do so much more. Every day, these selfless volunteers brighten the lives of the people they visit.
“Some of our drivers love to stop and chat,” Kathy explains. “There’s even one who, after finishing her route, goes back just to sit outside and watch birds with a client who’s passionate about birdwatching. She does this on her own time, just because it matters to that person.”
And sometimes, what they do turns out to be life-saving. There was the morning they got a call from the emergency contact of one of their clients. MOW always asks clients to list someone they can reach if there’s an emergency.
“She told us she’d received a voicemail from one of our drivers,” Kathy says. “When the driver went to drop off the meal, they noticed yesterday’s meal was still sitting in the cooler. That didn’t feel right. When the client didn’t answer the phone, the driver didn’t just leave; it was time to call the emergency contact. She went to check and found him on the floor, unable to move or reach his phone. He told her, ‘I thought I was going to die here on the floor.’ They got him to the hospital. His emergency contact wanted us to know: our drivers probably saved his life.”
Their building itself is a testament to Englewood community spirit. Originally, the program operated out of a nearby Presbyterian Church, which still owns the campus where the headquarters sits. However, as the need grew, the program quickly outpaced the church’s basement. They moved to a secondary location, but even that wasn’t enough. Seeing the vital role the organization played, the community rallied together, raising the funds and providing the labor to build the dedicated facility they use today.
Standing in the center of the room, surrounded by the scent of fresh bread, pizza, coffee and the laughter and chatter of volunteers, Kathy Macklin embodies the spirit of the organization.
Volunteers built this place. The community packed every muffin and drove every mile, and these actions built a bridge connecting neighbors who might otherwise be forgotten.
As the first drivers began to load their cars at 10:30, Kathy watches them go, knowing that for nine different routes, the best part of someone’s day was just about to arrive.
