Giving Back and Thankful for Good Fortune
Today I had the opportunity to give back to our Boulder community. Together with Debbie Coleman, senior escrow officer at Heritage Title Company, I delivered lunches for our BARA meals on wheels community service program. The idea to give back to the community was conceived by our current BARA president, Christina Davies, Re/Max Alliance.
Each week, a Realtor and an Affiliate member of the Boulder Area Realtor Association will team up to deliver food on one route. It’s pretty straight forward. It definitely touched my heart, realizing how blessed I am. Giving your time, to really help someone in need, there is no greater service.
What You Need To Know
We have a sign up sheet through BARA. Call or check in with George, Jacquelyn or Veronica at BARA (303-442-3585), They’ll get you added to the list and then send you a disclosure to fill out prior to your first shift.
Be sure to collect the Hot and Cold bags from the association before your shift.
Then head over to the Boulder Senior Center at 909 Arapahoe. You can head in through the back door – the one that says, “Use South Entrance.” As you enter, you’ll see a sign in sheet with our route information for the week.
Drop the hot bag in the line of bags and then recycle the cold food bag in the box.
Regulars arrive a bit early to chit chat. If this is your first time delivering food, check in with the front desk and ask for a quick orientation on what to do. You’ll be walked through the process. Very straightforward.
GPS and Driving Directions
We used both GPS and the written driving directions. I thought the directions supplied by Meals on Wheels were really helpful. Several of our stops were apartment complexes I had never before visited; other stops were condo complexes I know well. The printed directions are really helpful, right down to suggesting where to park!
Wellness Check
As you do the BARA Meals On Wheels route, keep in mind you are also doing a quick wellness check. One person on our route told us we were saving lives. A few chatted with us briefly. We were told we might be asked to do a small task – change a light or take out the garbage, but today we just delivered meals.
Still, as you are doing the route, remember you might be the only person visiting today.
We enjoyed the chit chat and were floored when one of the patrons told us she will be 93 in April. She was a hoot, wearing a holiday sweater that said, “Bite Me.” No wonder she is thriving and independent (ish) in her 90’s.
If no one is home (and this happened a few times for us today), you can leave the meal in a cooler at the door. Be sure to read the instructions for each client. While most of our route was just knock loudly and wait, we did have one client that requested we enter after knocking and call out loudly. It was all I could do not to walk in and call out, “Hello Realtor…”
Boulder Area Realtor Association Gives Back
Please sign up for a delivery date! Our association will be participating weekly. It was a quick couple of hours and I had the opportunity to really get to know an industry partner. I think this is a great idea and I’m thankful I had an opportunity to participate. Some unofficial advice: be sure to eat before you deliver all the food. The hot food aroma had me ravenous by the end of our shift.