DES MOINES, Iowa — On days like Tuesday when the mercury soars into the 90s, Meals on Wheels drivers like Celeste Kelling have an even larger responsibility.
"With hot days [like today] especially, it's critical to check in on them. And you can't forget about the middle of winter when we get the opposite end and it's cold."
Heather Stuyvesant is the director for WesleyLife Meals on Wheels in Des Moines. She says there are more resources available for those that need them, beyond the meals.
"It's really important that we make sure that their air conditioning is running. If they need a fan, we have donations that we've acquired over the years, so we're able to get them hooked up with a fan if they should need it," Stuyvesant told Local 5.
Kelling started driving for Meals on Wheels once she retired. Her mother was a beneficiary of the program while Celeste was still working.
"I just absolutely love going to work and meeting the people that I take lunches to, and you get to build a relationship with them," Kelling said.
One moment in particular sticks out to her.
"One lady who I'll never forget, she was 100, and she lived in an apartment all by herself. It wasn't senior living, not even assisted living, just a regular apartment. One day when I came by, she just wasn't herself. She ended up in the hospital and passed away a couple of days later. But luckily, we called her niece who lives an hour away and came down in time. I think 'Gosh, had we not noticed that she may have very well died alone.'"
WesleyLife serves nearly 1,000 people every single day across Des Moines, and they are always looking for volunteers.