When Carey Davis, executive director of Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels (CHMOW), began her role in 2021, she took a drive through a neighborhood in Flourtown to deliver meals to clients.

“The first stop was a lady who had a very bad stroke. The second stop was a man who had Parkinson’s. The third stop was a woman who was legally blind. If I had driven down that street any other day, I would have no idea who was in those homes. I would have no idea of the need that was there,” Davis told the Local. “It was such a reminder: Who are your neighbors, are you aware of them, and are you looking out for them?”

For the staff and volunteers at CHMOW, recognizing and caring for neighbors’ needs is their bread and butter. The nonprofit delivers two fresh meals a day, five days a week to community members in 13 zip codes challenged by illness, disability, or age. And they’ve been doing it for 50 years.

As the organization’s annual Harvest Kitchen Tour on Nov. 8 approaches, CHMOW intends to have one home designated as a “party house” to honor this golden anniversary. However, the festivities have otherwise been modest this year.

According to Doug MacBride, a longtime CHMOW volunteer, the lack of any flashy celebration isn’t an indication that the nonprofit doesn’t care about its 50th year, but rather a sign that CHMOW cares deeply about providing its services to the community to the best of its ability.

“For 50 years, what we have done is get food to people who have trouble getting food or preparing food on their own. That’s a daily grind. It doesn’t get better or worse. It’s what we do,” MacBride said. “We’re not going to do many new and exciting things. Our objective is to keep on doing what we’re doing.”

A 50-year history

CHMOW began in 1975 under the umbrella of the Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA). Barbara Russell and Mary Anna Ross helped found the program with headquarters at Chestnut Hill Hospital. For close to 30 years, operations were steady. Then, in the early 2000s, the organization experienced some turmoil.

In a short time frame, CHMOW left the CHCA, became a nonprofit, left the hospital, moved operations to Keystone House in Wyndmoor, and expanded to serve a larger area. Kim Morris, a volunteer who joined in 2005, became board president by default when the former president left. She describes this period as “a little rough.”

“We had to leave the hospital because the food was bad and we were losing clients,” Morris said. “We had to get our own insurance. We had to do a lot of things we had never done before. … And in doing all of that, we burned through a lot of our reserves because we had fees to pay we had never had to pay before. So, it got a little dicey.”

According to MacBride, the organization survived because of Morris, and fellow volunteer Laurene Topping, who joined around the same time.

“The time we had to change and become independent, find new places for food, the clientele was dwindling… [Morris and Topping] jumped in and said, ‘We need to fix this. We need to save this,’” MacBride said. “They willed it to stay alive and figured out how to build from that base, which was pretty small at the time, but it has built significantly since then.”

In 2014, CHMOW leaders moved the office to First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, while meal operations shifted to Halligan’s Pub in Flourtown. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020 and the restaurant was forced to close, meal operations moved once more to First Presbyterian.

Building friendships

With more than 100 volunteers, CHMOW is now able to serve roughly 125 clients in the greater Northwest Philadelphia area. Most of the clients are seniors (65+), while the remaining portion of clients have illnesses, injuries, or disabilities. Bringing healthy meals to clients’ doorsteps enables them to maintain independence and remain in their homes.

According to Topping, CHMOW’s flexibility is an important facet of the program.

“Being able to take on [clients] quickly sets this program apart from a lot of the other programs,” Topping said. “If you’re injured or you’ve had surgery, it doesn’t do you any good if you have to wait six weeks to get a meal. You need it the next day.”

In addition to filling the nutritional needs of clients, CHMOW also encourages building friendships with clients. If someone doesn’t come to the door to get their meals, volunteers can leave a compassion kit with a handwritten note. If someone is looking for more companionship, they can join CHMOW’s phone buddy program to receive calls once a week. And if someone is interested in having a conversation, volunteers will stick around, even if it means adjusting their routes.

“There was a woman on my route who was Cuban and I’m a Spanish teacher. The first time I went to her apartment in the Hill House [at Chestnut Hill], I heard her speaking on the phone, so when she opened the door, I spoke to her in Spanish and she was so excited,” Morris said. “We just bonded and I changed my route around so that she was always my last stop so I could stay a half hour or hour depending on the week.”

Harvest Kitchen Tour

On Nov. 8, CHMOW hosts its annual Harvest Kitchen Tour — a self-guided tour inviting guests to explore seven unique local kitchens while enjoying various chef-prepared dishes. The fundraiser usually draws 300 people, and about 50 volunteers assist.

Houses are mainly chosen through word of mouth among community members who might know of a recently renovated kitchen or stunning home. Several architecture and construction businesses sponsor the event to showcase their work. The fundraiser is the biggest of the year for CHMOW.

“It always sells out,” Davis said. “It’s a great community event and it’s a lot of work to put it together.”

Learn more at chestnuthillmow.org.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.