#SeniorsWeek2020: Incredible Volunteer Retires After 50 Years of Service
Anne while out on her regular meal delivery route.
Meet Anne - after 50 years of service, this incredible individual just retired from our volunteer team at the age of 90!
As her daughter, Joanne, explains, it took a global pandemic to end her 50 years of service with Calgary Meals on Wheels.
“At 90 years of age, she knew she had to do the right thing for those at risk, both clients and herself, by following Alberta’s public health directives to stay home.” explains Joanne. “Anne Pawelek has only ever had one goal in mind - to be of service to clients and the community. Being part of Calgary Meals on Wheels enabled her to fulfill this vocation. She was so sad on her last day of delivering meals because she absolutely loved being a Calgary Meals on Wheels volunteer," she says.
According to Anne, she loved volunteering because she was able to provide a service, and she really enjoyed the bonds that she made with staff and clients alike.
“I am very proud to be a part of Calgary Meals on Wheels. I will treasure the memories,” she says.
Over the 50 years, Anne experienced many stages of the organization’s growth. When she started volunteering in 1970, Calgary Meals on Wheels looked a lot different. At that time, the organization ran out of the basement of Hillhurst United Church, and served around 125 clients per day. Anne recalls carrying around large thermoses of soup, and pouring it into a container at the clients home.
Her daughter, Mary Jane, was in kindergarten at the time, and remembers the thermoses vividly.
“We would give a cup to each client for their lunch. Once in a while we would have some leftover soup and we were able to sample some of the soup. Tomato Rice was one of my favourites, and still is to this day!” she explains.
Mary Jane attended school after lunch, so she joined her mom and helped her with deliveries.
“She loved it!” Anne explains. “The older people enjoyed seeing her and she enjoyed seeing the elderly people.”
Anne received the Patricia Bourne Memorial Award at the 2015 Calgary Meals on Wheels Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.
After finishing school and becoming a nurse, Mary Jane officially joined her mom every Tuesday as her job allowed, and plans on continuing Anne’s legacy along with her sister Joanne on the same route their mother delivered to.
“Calgary Meals on Wheels is my volunteer family. I consider the clients on my route my friends and I miss them. I enjoy my weekly talks and visits with them. I hope to continue where I left off,” says Mary Jane.
Joanne is very much looking forward to joining her sister as part of Calgary Meals on Wheels.
“There are a lot more food & meal delivery options for Calgarians these days, but none of these for-profit businesses can match what Calgary’s not-for-profit Meals on Wheels has done for the past 55 years — engaging volunteers to deliver nutritious, home-style meals and provide a regular, friendly check-in to seniors and other isolated persons. I’m really looking forward to meeting clients and supporting the agency that has meant so much to my mother all these years.”
We are so grateful for Anne’s incredible contribution to Calgary Meals on Wheels, and all the lives she impacted throughout her career, as well as for her daughters who will be continuing on her legacy.