Contributed by Dana Seelye, Campus Librarian and Student Services Coordinator
In Tarrant County, Texas, the summer heat can climb as high as 110+ degrees. Summer is a great time for swimming and other outdoor sports and recreation, but the heat can be deadly if you are not in a position to escape it during the day.
L to R: Emily Foltz, Megan Anderson, Meals on Wheels Representative Evan Collins, Linda Morrow, Tonia Lawrence, and Leonard Bryson.
On June 26, 2012, Evan Collins, from the Meals on Wheels organization in Fort Worth, spoke to our Fort Worth Campus about what the organization does and what it means to him to provide help to their Meals on Wheels clients, especially during the incredibly hot summer months.
The organization not only provides free meals but also assists with air conditioning, utility bills, rent, counseling, and caring companionship. Pet food, walkers, electric wheel chairs, ramps, and doorbells are also on the list of items that the Meals on Wheels organization regularly provides.
As we had the year before, our Campus rolled up its sleeves to lend a hand. Students, faculty, and staff collected and donated fans and sold ice cream to raise money for the purchase of more fans. As a result, more than 80 electric fans were delivered to those in need by the Meals on Wheels volunteers on their daily routes.
Our Fort Worth Campus has a lot of fans.
Mr. Collins was grateful and excited to come to our Campus and receive the fans we had collected so that 80 or more people would be able to be cooler and more comfortable during the hot summer season.
This activity was also meaningful to the many Fort Worth Campus employees who participated this year. General Education Instructor Barbara Kirksey reminded us that, “…The measure of our country’s character can be seen in how we treat these groups in our midst….”
Career Services Representative Emily Foltz reminded us that, “If something as simple as a fan can help someone get through the hot summer months safely, … we should get involved.”
Our new Education Administrative Assistant Bernardette Reynolds, who was a former Meals on Wheels volunteer herself, noted that, “Many of the recipients are from a generation that will not ask for assistance, but if you ever see the relief on their face after receiving something they are desperately in need of, it will change your life. It is a great feeling to go back into a home and hear the hum of a fan, knowing they are so thankful for something many of us take for granted.”
“Fan-tastic” job, Fort Worth Campus!
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