BALTIMORE, MD—This week, Jiffy Lube honored Baltimore-based Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland volunteer Kathi Howard for her unwavering dedication to service with one year of free vehicle maintenance.

The Reisterstown resident has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for more than 32 years, where she and her sister, Pam Cline, serve meals each week to seniors and other homebound clients. A former Goucher College administrator, Kathi made sure to take her son on some of her routes so he could see the importance of helping others firsthand. She has recently taken her five-year-old grandson on her delivery route to continue the important Meals on Wheels tradition.

“Helping others is important to me and my sister as we are providing assistance to underserved and marginalized members of society who need healthy meals and often some friendly conversation,” said Howard. “Over the years, it truly has become more than just a meal. We are often the only faces our clients will see during the day. I love how Meals on Wheels brings people together. I definitely receive much more than I give.”

The need remains high for clients served by Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. The organization produced, packed and delivered 4,841,485 meals over a two-year period from 2020 to 2022. Studies continuously show the impact of social isolation, food insecurity and poverty on overall health. Of the nearly 3,000 older adults the organization serves annually, 75 percent live at or below the poverty line.

“Jiffy Lube is dedicated to giving back to our local community through our effort to Drive to Do More. Our collaboration with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland is united by a mission of driving health and hope to those facing senior isolation and hunger,” said Pete Blauvelt, President of the Jiffy Lube Baltimore Co-Op. “We are excited to recognize and honor Kathi for her tremendous dedication and commitment to serve others. And, it is our pleasure to help maintain her vehicle so that she can focus on her passion of serving others.”

As part of the collaboration, Jiffy Lube is providing a special discount on vehicle maintenance services to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland staff and volunteers, helping to keep their vehicles road-ready. The brand is also conducting an in-store fundraising campaign that will take place throughout October 2022.

The Meals on Wheels nationwide network of 5,000+ community-based senior nutrition programs is fueled by volunteers who deliver nutritious meals, friendly visits, and safety checks to more than 2.4 million homebound seniors annually. Based on a survey distributed to 1,000 local programs, each Meals on Wheels program, on average, depends on volunteers and staff to drive 1,500 miles per week to complete all of their delivery routes.

Photos via Joanne Cobb