By Kiki Serantes Mollie Dalpae was not even in grade school when she started volunteering with her grandmother, who belonged to the nonprofit Sunshine Club. The club provided services to what they referred to as "shut-ins," assisting community members in convalescent homes.
"That was at a time when convalescent homes were really pretty bad," Mollie said, referring to the noted poverty the homes faced. "I learned a lot about caring for other people." Young Mollie would travel to the homes with the ladies of the Sunshine Club, checking on the residents while bringing them food and blankets — much like Meals on Wheels Spokane does today. "I know, though, that [giving back to the community was a part of life," Mollie said. "That's just what you did." Being raised by and volunteering with her grandma inspired Mollie to be an active social servant in the community decades later. Though she was content, life changed for Mollie after her grandmother passed away. "I didn't have an elderly person in my life — I felt so lost and empty," Mollie said. She was studying at San Jose State University to become a wine chemist when she discovered the field of gerontology. "I was like 'I can get a degree in something that is such an important part of my life?' " Mollie said. She immediately switched majors after the realization and has dedicated her life to intergenerational service ever since. It would take her nine years to graduate, but she has not regrets. Mollie has advanced the Meals on Wheels Spokane mission and its services for almost 10 years. In fact, the program's 2017 50th anniversary doubles as Mollie's 10th anniversary as its director. "People hear about Meals on Wheels Spokane and they think food — we bring food, but we do so much more," Mollie said. "We provide blankets in the winter, fans in the summer. We have the pen-pal program, we have Friend-to-Friend and we have a pet food program." Mollie will expand Meals on Wheels Spokane services even more come January, when they plan to roll out an educational engagement program. The program will provide the opportunity for visiting nurses, pharmacy students, and occupational and physical therapists to visit homebound seniors, as well as work directly on-site in the senior center. "Do we feed them? Absolutely, and it's delicious good," Mollie said. "But we really work hard to make sure they're in their home safely and that they know we care about them." As far as the future goes — Mollie is eager to tackle potential challenges and keep growing the program. "I don't do well with maintaining — I like change," Mollie said. "I like to see what else is out there we can do." Mollie said expansion of services is based on annual surveys sent out to seniors. She's a huge advocate for fostering community connections. If another Spokane nonprofit already offers services in a requested area, Mollie refers clients to them rather than spearheading new programs internally. Without federal funding, a vital focus for Mollie as director is growing Meals on Wheels Spokane's endowment. The endowment will directly help seniors like Helen, whose life was nearly saved by Meals on Wheels Spokane volunteers when they found her lying on her kitchen fall after a nasty fall that broke her bones. When Mollie asked Helen if she was scared, the senior's response both surprised and comforted her. "She said 'No, I just looked at my clock and I knew my girls — how she would refer to her volunteers — would be here at 11:30," Mollie said. "It's comforting to know that we're going to bring you a meal and that we'll see you that day," she said. "But how sweet that she didn't panic, she wasn't afraid. What comfort we gave her knowing that we'd be there—her 'girls.' " Mollie encourages all who are able to volunteer--not only because of the joy it brings to the seniors, but because of the meaning it brings to the lives of the volunteers as well.
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