Meals on Wheels took steps in 2017 to prepare for ice storm

Icy road conditions Tuesday force seniors to go without hot meal delivery

SAN ANTONIO – The director of the local Meals on Wheels made a tough call Tuesday to cancel all deliveries because the risk to drivers and volunteers was too great due to the icy weather.

The organization was in good company as local school districts and some businesses canceled operations because of icy roads. But it meant some seniors who depend on the meal delivery went without a hot meal on the iciest day of the past year.

“We don’t take the decision lightly, but its a matter of safety for the operation and just the ability to get it done on a day like yesterday,” said Jim Snyder, director of Meals on Wheels San Antonio.

In December 2017, Meals on Wheels drivers and volunteers delivered emergency meal packs containing dry foods for seniors to store in their pantries in case winter weather would prevent future deliveries.

“And we put a notification out to them that when San Antonio ISD is closed, we will follow their lead since we’re in that footprint, so we'll be closed also,” Snyder said.

Drivers such as Lucinda Medina were eager Wednesday to get back out on the road to make their rounds.

“I felt really bad yesterday that we couldn't make it out,” Medina said. “So today I was anxious to get out and make sure everybody got their meals.”

Thirty-two drivers and 160 volunteers for Meals on Wheels were out Wednesday delivering hot meals to seniors across Bexar County.

The seniors received double meals last Friday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.

The organization is looking for more help to make deliveries. If you would like to help out, you can find more information at https://www.mowsatx.org/.


About the Author:

Myra Arthur is passionate about San Antonio and sharing its stories. She graduated high school in the Alamo City and always wanted to anchor and report in her hometown. Myra anchors KSAT News at 6:00 p.m. and hosts and reports for the streaming show, KSAT Explains. She joined KSAT in 2012 after anchoring and reporting in Waco and Corpus Christi.