More Than a Meal: A Holiday Tradition of Caring
- Topsail Times
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
By Tom Dareneau
For many, the holiday season means full tables and familiar faces. For others, it can be the loneliest — and hungriest — time of year. Each winter, when the regular Meals on Wheels deliveries pause over the Christmas and New Year holidays, a community effort begins.
For the eighth consecutive year, the Coastal Pender Rotary Club has partnered with the Topsail Senior Center and Share the Table to deliver holiday food baskets to local residents in need. This past season this collaboration delivered 45 meals to seniors and others who rely on daily food assistance and could otherwise face empty cupboards during the holiday break.
The effort begins weeks before the holidays, when the Topsail Senior Center reaches out to the regular Meals on Wheels recipients to identify those who could use extra support and then establish delivery routes. From there, Share the Table assembles baskets filled with non-perishable foods designed to help stretch meals over several days. Deliveries are made twice during the holiday period, covering routes throughout Hampstead, Surf City, and Scotts Hill.
The Coastal Pender Rotary Club funds the project and personally distributes the baskets — but the mission goes beyond food. Volunteers take time to check in, share a conversation, and make sure each person is safe and well. Over the years, these visits have made a real difference, from identifying urgent medical needs to connecting individuals with home repairs or replacing essential appliances.
Often, the most meaningful part of the delivery is simply the human connection. A friendly visit, a few minutes of conversation, and the reassurance that someone cares can be just as nourishing as the meals themselves.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Coastal Pender Rotary Club and the community collaborations is encouraged to do so by contacting coastalpenderrotary@gmail.com.
Rotary believes that community collaborations, in many forms, help to make a positive difference within our community.
