BIG BOOST—Simi Valley resident Garnette Schroeck, at 102 years old, is grateful for the lunches provided by Meals on Wheels. For Simi resident Midge Block, getting around isn’t easy. The 88-year-old relies on a walker for balance, and cooking is out of the question.

While her grandson checks on her in the early morning and in the evening, her days are largely spent alone.

That’s where Meals on Wheels comes in.

When Block sees volunteer driver Don Mueller on her front porch with a bag of food in tow, her face instantly lights up.

“I think this is the best thing ever,” she said, as Mueller hands Block her lunch. “I don’t have to get up and cook. It’s a big help, and it’s such good food. I really do like Meals on Wheels.”

But it’s not just the hot, freshly prepared food that brings a smile to her face.

SERVICE WITH A SMILE—Meals on Wheels volunteer driver Don Mueller checks in with Midge Block, a regular customer. “The drivers are so nice, so kind,” Midge said with a smile. “The drivers are great. They’re just so friendly and lovely,” said Block, who’s been receiving the meals for two months. “It’s nice to have somebody come that I can talk to, because they never seem to be in a hurry,” she said.

Established in 1974, the Meals on Wheels program in Simi has expanded from delivering two meals a week to the daily delivery of a hot midday meal Monday through Friday.

Today, 130 homebound seniors receive a well-balanced lunch from Meals on Wheels.

Seniors 60 years and older who are homebound and unable to cook for themselves and who have no one else to cook for them are eligible for the program. Their spouses can receive meals, too.

The food is prepared at the Simi Valley Senior Center, and the menu is set by a registered dietician to ensure that it meets seniors’ nutritional requirements.

Some meal recipients aren’t always thrilled with their lunch— Tuesday’s was a double serving of lima beans and beef pepper steak— but Gail Taylor, 85, said she can’t complain. In fact, she called Meals on Wheels a “godsend.”

“I love it,” said Taylor, who started receiving meals a year ago after being hospitalized for dehydration. “It’s a wonderful program and anybody who’s able to get on (it) should be grateful, not gripe (about the food).”

While Meals on Wheels makes sure seniors don’t go hungry, it also allows many seniors to remain independent in their own homes.

Josephine Vieira, 93, has been on the program for more than two years. Her daughter, Joanie Gomes, and son-in-law live with her. However, Gomes is in and out of the house because of her job and can’t always look after her mother.

Meals on Wheels gives Gomes the comfort of knowing that somebody is checking on her mother while she’s away.

The Meals on Wheels program is supported by voluntary contributions from participants, community donations, money raised by the Simi Valley Council on Aging, and food and funds from the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging.

However, the agency funds cover only the cost of three part-time employees: the cook, the program coordinator and the meal site coordinator.

Laurie Dickinson, senior services manager at the Senior Center, said donations to the program are down, especially from businesses, but the number of seniors requesting Meals on Wheels is up.

The program has not yet suffered, Dickinson said, but that may change in the next couple of months.

“We don’t have a waiting list right at this moment. We’ve been able to feed everybody,” she said. “As we get more and more seniors, the demand is going to be higher.”

Claudia Hapip, Meals on Wheels coordinator, said there’s been a huge increase in the program over the past two years.

“In the time I’ve been here it’s more than doubled,” she said.

Three years ago, there were only the four hot food routes and 60 seniors receiving the meals. Now there are six routes—four hot food routes and two frozen food routes— and 130 seniors receiving meals.

Frozen meals, which are delivered once a week, were added in order to serve more seniors and avoid a waiting list since there aren’t sufficient funds for another hot food route, Dickinson said.

Some volunteers work in the kitchen preparing the food and others transport and deliver the meals. With 12 years of service under his belt, Mueller is one of the longest serving drivers, and at 84 he’s older than some of the meal recipients.

But he says he’ll do it as long as he can.

“It’s rewarding,” he said. “I’ve had people tell me they like the drivers because we stop and chat with them. . . . You can see that they enjoy seeing somebody and talking to them a little bit.”

For more information or to receive an application for Meals on Wheels, call (805) 583-6042 or visit www.simivalleysenior.com/MOW.htm.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Simi Valley Council on Aging, Meals on Wheels Program, 3900 Avenida Simi, Simi Valley, CA 93063.