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Under Rosemary Reilly's leadership Alameda Meals on Wheels serves some 45,000 meals per year to 135 recipients.

People Behaving Nicely

Gil Michaels

Infirmity, especially chronic infirmity, is one of life's great miseries, right up there with losing your job, losing all your money, or having your son quit medical school to become a knee-cymbal and rub-board player in a Zydeco band.

However, there are those who find great virtue in infirmity, especially when it evokes admirable traits like humility, patience, hope, gratitude and altruism.

Pragmatically, as one who has suffered through chronic infirmity, I can say that it is mighty hard to be, like, all wistfully philosophical when you haven't been out of your house or worked for five months.

In any case, you certainly learn to be humble — and to be mighty grateful for the kindnesses and the selfless altruism of others.

After my heart attack and stroke, I was fortunate enough to encounter several nice, kind, altruistic people. The problem was, none of those nice, kind, altruistic people could cook.

Every day, I would be served some sort of pinkish, brownish or greenish, wobbly viscous mass.

"What the flying (expletive) is this?" I would moan.

"That's your favorite," the altruist would exclaim. "Puréed lasagna!"

Or puréed fish sticks, or an entire puréed Thanksgiving dinner. This went on for months, inducing great weight loss, but also inducing great angst, misanthropy and pessimism.

Thankfully, after much prayer, my wise physician, kindly Dr. Bhatnagar, took pity on me, realized my need for independence, and referred me to Rosemary Reilly and Alameda Meals on Wheels. Under Reilly's leadership the organization serves approximately 45,000 meals per year to 135 recipients.

The meals are prepared daily by the kitchen staff at Bayview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Bayview's kitchen staff makes a very fine spaghetti with mushroom and meat sauce, a terrific lasagna, and a soft carne asada taco with Mexican-style rice that puts most of Alameda's taquerias to shame. Their barbecue chicken thighs also induce quivers of delight.

The kitchen staff gladly accommodates the recipient's dietary requirements, offering regular, diabetic, low cholesterol and low sodium preparations and other special preparations if possible.

The midday meals are delivered seven days a week by an amazingly cheerful, caring group of 150 volunteers, a few of whom are actually on non-hissing terms with my ancient, cranky, acquired cat, Poopie Marie.

Furthermore, every pizza joint and other restaurant that offers home delivery should emulate Alameda Meals on Wheels. Never once have they caused my blood pressure to rise, and caused me — with sweaty, crimson faced fury — to scream into the telephone "Where's my (expletive) meal ?" Alameda Meals on Wheels has always delivered, right on time.

Established in 1973 by a group of concerned citizens, Alameda Meals on Wheels' board of directors elected to eschew government funding in order to serve housebound, disabled or ill local residents of all ages.

Contributions from the community and recipients who pay on a sliding fee scale support the organization, which hosts a popular fundraiser each July. An ancillary program, Alameda Friendly Visitors, provides companionship during weekly one- to two-hour visits to homebound Alamedans of any age. Their services are free of charge. Alameda Meals on Wheels and Alameda Friendly Visitors, truly two groups of "People Behaving Nicely."

Contact Alameda Meals On Wheels at 865-6131; contact Alameda Friendly Visitors at 748-0342.

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