50 for 50

The 38th person in our 50 for 50 series is Dason Tucker, our outgoing Executive Director. 

Dason assumed the role of Executive Director in July 2020, following Charlyn Ocker's retirement. He joined us at the height of a national pandemic and encountered numerous challenges during his initial months.

During his four-year tenure with Meals For The Elderly, Dason guided the program's expansion into two additional counties, assisted in developing a new Strategic Plan, helped establish a new recipient database, and forged valuable partnerships within the community to support our growth and success.

He actively served on multiple state and local boards, including the Board of Directors for the YMCA and the Concho Valley Workforce Development Board. Dason also held the Treasurer position on the Meals on Wheels Texas Board and represented the Home Delivered Meal sector on the Texas Food System Security and Resiliency Council at the state level.

Dason has contributed significantly to our organization during his time with us. His family will be relocating from San Angelo as his wife pursues a job opportunity in Corpus Christi. We are incredibly grateful for his contributions and he will be greatly missed. Dason has laid a strong foundation for our future success and has ensured that our new Executive Director is well-prepared to continue leading us forward.

The 37th Group in our 50 for 50 series is our Community Champions.

Every years, Meals For The Elderly invites local non profit, school, city, county, business, and community leaders to participate in a delivery. The event started in 1990 as a one day event and was called "Big Wheels". It has evolved to Community Champions and is now a 2 day event that takes place on a Tuesday and Thursday in September. 

It would be impossible for us to name every participant in this program over the past 34 years, but we recognize the importance of our amazing community and our partners we have had. 

Our Community Partners include: other non-profit organizations that we have been able to make referrals to or have referred recipients to us. Schools that have brought volunteers and supported us at events. Businesses that have sponsored events, donated, or have regular routes they drive. City and County officials who have advocated for our recipients and have supported us in our mission. The local media that helps us spread word about our mission and shows our community what we do on a daily basis. 

We would not be here without the amazing support we have had from our community and the partners we have worked with over the years. We are so excited to continue the relationships we have established and look forward to creating new ones, making our community even better! 

The 36th Organization in our 50 for 50 series is the Angelo State University Honors Program.

While we have worked with numerous ASU Organizations throughout the years, we specifically partner with ASU Honors Program through their Community Involvement Initiative. Since 2018, ASU Honors Students have been placed on the Meals For The Elderly Board to serve for 1 full academic year starting in October.

While on our board, they learn about board service, they network and connect with the community first-hand, and they see the impact our organization is making on the lives of our recipients. We benefit from having students on our board as they often bring fresh ideas, technical expertise, and will assist us in helping find volunteers for various events we have throughout the year.

We are so appreciative of the partnership we have with the ASU Honors Program and the students that have served on our board over the years. Many of them have gone on to continue their education in Graduate and even Medical School. We know they will make a lasting impact in whatever community the live in and we are thankful of the time they spent with us. We are honored to help guide these students while they are at ASU and we know they have made a lasting impact on our organization as well!

The 35th Group in our 50 for 50 series is Meals on Wheels America. 

Meals on Wheels America is also celebrating 50 years of service this year. In 1972, the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program was passed, providing grants to states to support nutrition services for older adults.The program's goals include: Reducing hunger and malnutrition, Promoting socialization, Delaying the onset of adverse health conditions, and Enhancing health and well-being. In 1974, there was a national meeting of programs that provided these services and the National Association was born. It was formed as National Association of Meals Programs (NAMP) and has had several name changes throughout the years until it was officially rebranded to Meals on Wheels America (MOWA) in 2015.

Since Meals For The Elderly was created prior to the National Organization, we do not have the "Meals on Wheels" name but we have been a part of the association for a very long time. Our former CEO, Charlyn Ocker, remembers that we joined, it was under the NAMP, and she attended her first conference in 1989. 

Meals on Wheels America supports over 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. They provide funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, empowering its local member programs to strengthen their communities.

Meals For The Elderly is proud to be a part of the Meals on Wheels America association and we thank them for their continued efforts to help us provide a better place for our homebound neighbors. We are a stronger organization because of the advocacy and networking that Meals on Wheels America has provided. We are honored to share this milestone anniversary with them and we can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in the next 50 years! 

The 34th couple in our 50 for 50 series is Barbara & Morgan Riley, who supported Meals For The Elderly in so many different ways.

Together, Barbara and Morgan volunteered with Meals For The Elderly for over 15 years. Barbara was on the board for Meals For The Elderly from 2003 - 2009, and Morgan had a regular route he would deliver. Their daughter, Robin, also served on the board and said Meals For The Elderly has always been a big part of their life. 

Barbara and Morgan's kids and grandkids have core memories of delivering routes for Meals, and working events such as Clay Shoot and Mardi Gras. Robin said there was such joy in seeing them give back to the community and do something with her parents. 

Barbara and Morgan didn't grow up with much, so they had a passion for Meals For The Elderly where they were able to give back to those that need it most. They were truly selfless and set an incredible example to their family, to whom they taught how to serve. In addition to volunteering with Meals, they were very involved with their church, Southland Baptist Church, and many other organizations around the community. 

When Barbara and Morgan's health began to decline, they became Meals For The Elderly recipients. It was a peace of mind for Robin and her brother, knowing someone was checking in on them, and Robin recalls eating the meals with her mom when Morgan was in the hospital. 

Morgan passed away in January and Barbara passed away in May of this year. Their dedication and service to Meals For The Elderly will always be remembered and honored, just as their family remembers their giving and compassionate natures. We were truly blessed to have known Barbara and Morgan and we truly appreciate everything they did for us and the community! 

The 33rd group in our 50 for 50 series is the San Angelo Homebuilders Association. 

In 1987, Meals had started to outgrow the facility it was operating out of that was located on Avenue V. The Homebuilder's Association of San Angelo saw our need for a new building and adopted Meals For The Elderly as their civic project.

Russell Jacoby was president of the association at the time and he helped coordinate the volunteer construction of a new building. Approximately 200 volunteers that included carpenters, concrete contractors, plumbers, electritians, brick layers, and roofers were involved in the project. All of the labor was donated and building supplies that weren't donated were purchased a supplier's cost. Meals raised the additional funds to help pay for the building, but the donated labor and supplies helped ease the burden of a large construction bill. 

Construction for the building began on October 3, 1987 and it was constructed over 2 weekends. It was ready for move in by October 11 of that same year. It was a true community effort to be able to complete the project in 2 weekends, allowing a seamless transition to the new building. 

We still reside in the building that was constructed over 35 years ago. We are truly grateful for the efforts of the San Angelo Home Builders Association and all of the contrators that volunteered their time to help.  The facility got another expansion in 1999, but the original structure is still standing strong. Over the years, we have been able to continue to expand our services to help those in need in our community. We wouldn't have been able to do that without a facility that was constructed thanks to the San Angelo Home Builders Association! 

The 32nd group in our 50 for 50 series is the Haby Family Charitable Trust. 

In 1974, when Mary Alice Rodgers was seeking funding to start the program, she found it difficult to get the appropriate funding she needed to get the state license to operate. Minnie and Homer Haby had a family charitible trust and gave Mary Alice $3,000 for the required license, and pledges $250 per month for the first six months to help get the program underway.

Without The Haby Family Charitable Trust, we would not have been able to get our program up and running. Throughout the years, The they have continued to support Meals For The Elderly. We want to recognize the importance of that first donation and pledge to our cause, and thank them for their continued support. Mr. Haby passed away in 2001, but the family continues to support multiple causes in the community. 

It is because of families and organizations like the Haby Family Charitable Trust that we are able to continue to operate. While we receive grants, a majority of our budget relies on private donations, and our amazing community always steps up! We want to thank the Haby Family for their continued dedication and support of Meals For The Elderly. We know we wouldn't be here without them! 

On August 1, 1974, Meals For The Elderly delivered 16 meals to recipients in San Angelo TX. For this week's 50 for 50 series, we are honoring and recognizing everyone who has been touched by our program in some way. 

It is impossible to name every volunteer, recipient, staff member, family member, donor, and community partner who has been a part of our organization over the past 50 years, but we thank each and every person who has been a part of our history.

Over the past 50 years, we have delivered millions of meals to tens of thousands of recipients. We have had tens of thousands of volunteers walk through our door and have had thousands of different donors who have supported our mission. We have expanded our services to include additional counties outside of Tom Green, and our service area encompasses over 3,575 square miles. 

Words cannot express how truly grateful we are for everyone who has been a part of our organization in some way over the last 50 years. We are looking forward to continuing our services and welcoming new faces into the Meals For The Elderly family for the next 50 years! 

The 30th group of people in our 50 for 50 series is our past and present rural delivery drivers, Henry, Kelly, and Keith. 

Meals For The Elderly started serving San Angelo in 1974 and througout the years, we have expanded our services to include additional communities within Tom Green County and Miles, TX. In September 2022, we expanded services to include Concho County and November 2022, we included Irion County to our service area. 

As we expanded out to include additional counties, we saw the need to expand our staff and hired our very first delivery driver. This rural delivery driver uses a special Meals vehicle to deliver meals spefically to the counties of Irion and Concho. 

Henry was our very first rural deliver driver, and then Kelly took over after Henry moved on to new adventures. Kelly is also on a new adventure, so Keith is now delivering to our homebound recipients in Irion and Concho county.

Having a rural delivery driver on staff is imperative to continuing our mission and bringing meals to those that need it most. Our homebound recipients in more rural counties are able to live independently because of people like Henry, Kelly, and Keith and we are so grateful to have them as part of the Meals For The Elderly team. We are excited to continue to provide services to these areas for many more years to come and we know our rural delivery driver will be a big part of that accomplishment.  Thank you Henry and Kelly for their service to Meals and we are so excited to now have Keith on the team and we appreciate everything he does! 

The 29th organization in our 50 for 50 series is the San Angelo Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. 

According to our records, the official start date of the Episcopal Church of the Good Sheperd was August 27, 1974. That means the church has been volunteering with Meals For The Elderly since the very beginning and will be celebrating 50 years of service with us this year! 

The church drives a regular weekly route and several church members will rotate out driving each week. Today, there are 6-8 different people that drive routes.

Prissy Griffith organizes the drivers and she said she remembers volunteering as a young bride in 1975 when Meals operated out of the old barracks building. The neighborhood they deliver to has stayed the same and she says she can remember the recipients and houses she would deliver to when she drives through that neighborhood. She said the church loves being involved in the ministry of Meals For The Elderly and they truly enjoy helping people. 

It is incredible to have an organization like the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd who has been dedicated to the mission of Meals For The Elderly since the beginning. They have personally touched the lives of so many recipients over the last 50 years, and we hope they are able to continue their ministry with us for many more years. We truly appreciate everything they have done and continue to do! 

The 28^th couple in our 50 for 50 series is Mary Beth and Arlen Lohse

Mary Beth started volunteering for MFTE in the 70’s when we were operating out of the old barracks building. She would bring her son when she picked up and delivered meals. When he was school age, she went to work for the public school system. While she was teaching, she would continue to volunteer when school was on break. Mary Beth was a school teacher for over 36 years.

In 1995, Arlen retired from the newspaper and started delivering meals. After Mary Beth retired, they started to deliver meals together and have been delivering multiple times a week ever since. They have multiple regular routes they deliver during the week, but they will also pick up extra routes, so they are often in the building 4-5 times a week. Together, they have delivered for Meals for over 45 years.

Mary Beth said she really enjoys helping people and since they deliver the same routes every week, they have gotten to know their recipients and their families. They really enjoy the interactions with other people and learning about the changes and updates in their lives. They also know the names of most of the pets as well!

Mary Beth and Arlen have a son and 2 grandsons. Their youngest grandson has often helped them deliver a route. They enjoyed travelling, but more then anything, they like helping those in the community. In 2017, they received the Governor's Volunteer Awards Senior Corps “Make a Difference” Award. We are so honored to have dedicated volunteers like Mary Beth and Arlen. They have become a big part of the Meals For The Elderly family and we truly appreciate all of their years of dedication!

Our 50 for 50 series features our own Mabel Ynojosa as the 27th person.

Mabel is the Administrative Assistant at Meals For The Elderly. She joined the Meals family in October of 2020. Like many others in the office, her job title does not fully reflect what she does for our organization.

Mabel is often the first person to welcome you when you come in. She greets volunteers and visitors with a warm smile and a kind hello and helps answer phones with the same friendly manner. She supports every department with administrative tasks and helps manage our donor database. She helps get frozen meals ready for the day, will deliver routes when needed, and also organizes and records the hours of community service we have helping in the building.

Mabel and her husband, Jacob, have a son who just finished Kindergarten this year. We are so grateful to have Mabel as part of the MFTE staff! She does so much for the organization every day, and the volunteers and visitors enjoy seeing her when they come in. We appreciate her commitment to the organization, and we hope she stays with us for many more years to come! 

The 26th person in our 50 for 50 series is Francisco Fuentes.

Francisco has been delivering with Meals For The Eldelry since 2021 delivering meals and helping in the office. In Fall of 2021 and Spring of 2022, he served on the Meals For The Elderly Board as an Honorary Member as part of the Angelo State Universiry Honors Program. He has continued to volunteer and has had a regular route every week. He will often pick up routes throughtout the week as well.

Francisco has been a student at ASU so he took time to volunteer on top of his studies and other school activities. He said he really enjoys having a regular route because he's gotten to know the recipients and enjoys visiting with them on a daily basis. 

Francisco was accepted to the Baylor School of Medicine in Houston so he will be moving away from San Angelo at the beginning of July. He is going to be missed, but we truly appreciate his dedication to the organization and how he has stuck around throughout his time at ASU. We appreciate volunteers like Francisco, who may not be with us for long, but still make a lasting impact! We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and we know he is going to continue to to do great things! 

The 25th family in our 50 for 50 series is the Dallas Family.

Carl, Kelly, Aaron, and Peter Dallas have been volunteering for Meals For The Elderly for over 10 years. Aaron started in the SAISD 18+ (now Bridge) program. He loved it so much, he came back to continue volunteering after he graduated out of the program. Carl drives him to the Meals office every morning and Aaron works back in the kitchen, placing labels on every meal that goes out. Aaron was named as our Volunteer of the Year for 2024.

While Aaron is at the Meals office, Kelly and Peter are volunteering their time at Rust Street Ministries. After they are done at Rust Street, they come to pick up Aaron where they often pick up, and help deliver routes as needed. They also have regular routes every Thursday & Friday. 

Kelly said the sense of accomplishment and belonging Aaron gets from working at MFTE is something they are trule grateful for. He and Peter have both grown and come out of their shells since they started volunteering with us. 

The Dallas Family is a great example of generational volunteering and we have many families who do the same thing. We truly appreciate having Aaron in the kitchen helping us every day, and we love seeing Kelly and Peter and appreciate their dedication to volunteering. Our organization continues to grow and thrive because of volunteers like them and we are honored to call them not only volunteers, but friends. 

The 24th person in our 50 for 50 series is Rebecca Padilla

Rebecca joined Meals For The Elderly in 2011 as our Accountant, but her role goes beyond that. She handles our finances and books, as well as our donor database. Her familiarity with our donors is priceless as she recognizes all of our regular donors by name. They are more than just numbers to her.

Rebecca is also key to the success of events like our Clay Shoot. For that event, she helps arrange and organize the registered shooters to suitable courses, tallies scores and enters them, and runs auction check out to make the process as easy as possible for participants.

Rebecca and her husband, Dennis, have been married for 29 Years. They have 3 children and 3 grand-children. Rebecca said she truly enjoys working for Meals For The Elderly. She thinks it is rewarding work and she loves seeing how our community takes care of those in need. We are truly grateful for Rebecca's commitment to Meals For The Elderly! Employees like her are how we continue to grow and thrive and we appreciate everything she has done to help with that.

The 23rd person in our 50 for 50 series is Tom Abbott. 

Tom joined the Meals For The Elderly Board in 2003. His insurance company, Mr. Insurance, did the insurance for Meals and they are still who we use today. In 2005, he and Steve Calvert helped start and create the Meals For The Elderly Clay Shoot event, which is celebrating 19 years running this year. When the Clay Shoot event was created, we were only one of 3 Clay Shoot fundraisers that were held every year. Tom served on the board for over 15 years. He left the board in 2020, but he is still very involved with Meals, participating in the Clay Shoot every year.

Tom enjoyed being on the Board for Meals For The Elderly because he said he enjoyed how involved the board was. He made lifelong friends from the other board members he served with. He also appreciates the mission of Meals and how they allocate their money and the donations they receive. 

Tom has 4 kids and 9 grandkids. He enjoys spending time with them on the weekends, but he and his wife also like getting away for the weekend when they are able. We are so grateful for Board Members like Tom, who helped shaped our organization over the years. We appreciate his continued support,, and enjoy working with him! 

The 22nd group in our 50 for 50 series is Principal Industries.

Principal Industries has been supporting Meals For The Elderly in the form of event sponsorships for over 8 years. They are a local company that has grown over the past few years and they love supporting local organizations. 

Principal Industries has sponsored our Clay Shoot for over 8 years and have been the Title Sponsor in 2023 and 2024. They really enjoy attending events like the Clay Shoot, but more importantly, they enjoy supporting the mission of Meals For The Elderly. One of their staff members has also served as a volunteer on our Board of Directors for over 4 years and her support and guidance has been invaluable. 

We appreciate the continued support of businesses like Principal Industries. We rely on donations and sponsorships of events to raise funds to be able to serve our homebound neighbors. Principal Industries is helping us fulfill our mission with their support! 

The 21st group in our 50 for 50 series is Integris.

Integris has been volunteering with Meals For The Elderly for 5 years,but they have been sponsors and community partners since 2016 when they operated as Cal-Tech. 

Integris was the title sponsor for our annual Clay Shoot Event from  2016-2021. They continue to support Meals For The Elderly through sponsorships of Clay Shoot and our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. They were featured as our Organization of the Year at our 2023 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. 

Integris has a regular route they drive every Friday and they always like to give all of their employees a chance to volunteer. They volunteer at events and also adopt ornaments for recipients during our Seniors Still Believe Christmas Gift Giving event. 

Meals For The Elderly cannot operate with out the support of our community so we are incredibly thankful to businesses like Integris. They have been supporting us through sponsorships and volunteering every week and we appreciate everything they do! 

The 20th person in our 50 for 50 series is Jessica Behringer, Director of Development & Marketing.

Jessica came to Meals For The Elderly in October 2020 with 9 years of experience in higher education. She wanted to apply her marketing skills to a good cause, and admired the mission of MFTE and its impact on the community. She adapted to many challenges in her first year when events had to change due to the pandemic.

Jessica handles all marketing aspects of the organization, such as managing the website, social media, and other digital marketing, as well as creating brochures, flyers, and other print material for the organization and other departments. She organizes the 2 large fundraising events each year and this year, she is in charge of the 50th Anniversary Gala event in November. She likes attending community events to represent MFTE and collaborating with other non-profit organizations in the community to build relationships.

Jessica has a husband of 13 years, BJ, and 2 children, Wyatt and Logan. BJ volunteers at the annual Clay Shoot event, and Wyatt and Logan have decorated lunch sacks and helped with deliveries. She also serves as the Registrar at the San Angelo Soccer Association and enjoys reading, doing puzzles, and watching football in her spare time.

We are grateful for Jessica's work at Meals For The Elderly. She brings new ideas to Marketing and Event Planning and plans to stay with the organization for many more years. She is always ready to help wherever needed and has a true passion for non-profits and improving our community.

The 19th group in our 50 for 50 series is our Meals For The Elderly kitchen staff (both past and present).

Since the beginning, our kitchen staff has been there to make sure we have food for our recipients every day. When we started, it was one person that shopped for ingredients, planned meals, and cooked and prepared the meals out of a standard sized kitchen. 

Today, we have 7 people on our kitchen staff. They arrive at our building between 4:30 - 5:30 am every Monday - Friday to begin cooking meals. They prepare enough food to make 500-600 meals each day and will sometimes cook extra meals to freeze to prepare for upcoming holiday closures. Our kitchen managers also help plan the meals and order food to give our recipients a healthy variety of menus. 

While they work behind the scenes, we know we wouldn't be able to fulfill our mission without them. They are the front lines making sure our recipients have food every single day. 

We are so grateful for our kitchen staff! We appreciate everyone who has worked for us in the past as well as everyone who currently works in our kitchen. Their continued dedication to Meals For The Elderly has helped us reach this 50-year milestone and we know they will help lead us to 50 more years of service! 

The 18^th person in our 50 for 50 series is Patsy Brunson, a Meals For The Elderly recipient.

Patsy was a teacher for over 31 years. She worked at Region 15 where she was in charge of a program that spanned the entire region. After leaving Region 15, she bought and operated the Gingerbread House daycare. She finished her teaching career at Glenmore before she retired. She adores the kids she taught and interacted with over the years and has many stories and fond memories of teaching them.

She is so grateful to receive meals from Meals For The Elderly. Her doctor was the one who referred her to the program. She was having health issues and was forced to stay at home. The meals allow her to be able to get a nutritious meal every day since she isn’t able to get out.  She enjoys the food and said she always finishes everything. She’s always full after eating the meal and it’s the perfect portion for what she needs.

She said the volunteers are always happy when they come to the door and they make her happy. She can name all the volunteers she regularly sees throughout the week and greets them with a smile. One volunteer even helped her install a doorbell and pick out the tune.

 Patsy turned 86 in January and loved getting the birthday bag from Meals For The Elderly.  Patsy was married to her husband for 63 years before he passed away and they raised 3 children together. She has 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. We are so grateful to help recipients like Patsy live more independently. She helped so many children and adults when she was teaching, and we love being able to give back to her!

For our 17th 50 for 50, We would like to remember and honor volunteers we have lost over the years.

These volunteers were regular faces in the organization and served Meals For The Elderly for at least 5 years. This list includes all volunteers we were aware of up until March 1, 2024. We created this list to the best of our ability based on the records we have. If there is someone we missed, please reach out to us directly so we can properly recognize them and their service. 

We appreciate all that they have done for us. They are not forgotten and will forever be remembered on a Memorial Plaque that hangs in the MFTE building.

Burt Latham
Carl Lange
Mason Green
Jerry Bruner
Jim Meier
Maxine Bunyard
Ed Christensen
Bill & Nita Archer
Madie Huckaby
Garland Freeze
Tina Bush
Paul Martin
Nina Baty
Kay Good
Jim Calvert
Donna Robison
Gene & Jo Cook
Mary Lou Taylor

Ben Sargent
Jenny Sakellariou
Glen Shultz
Dela Jean Terrill
Alberta Trubenstein
Frances & John South
Will Allen
Lois Stanley
Hazel Dooley
Wilma Cunningham
Domingo Quintela, Jr.
Kaye Pfluger
Ray Favre
Dick Funk
John M. Jost, Jr.
Morgan Riley
Connie Jeffers

The 16th person in our 50 for 50 series is Wanda Hudson.

Wanda started volunteering with Meals in 2011. She is here every Thursday assiting our Volunteer Director, Kelly. Wanda helps assign drivers to routes for the next week and calls volunteers to help fill any routes we have open. She also helps coordinate and drive a route once a month with Immanuel Baptist Church. 

She is a very familar face and voice around the office and her laughter and love for life is contagious. She loves calling volunteers and is always talking with them to see how they are doing. She was named  Volunteer of the Year in 2022 at our first Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Her name is on a plaque that hangs in our hallway with that honor. 

Wanda was unable to volunteer for several months this last year and her presence was missed! Several other volunteers, Meals Staff, and many others checked on her regularly and she thanks everyone for the encouragement and kind words. 

We are so excited to have Wanda back at the office with us! We look forward to seeing her on Thursdays and volunteers enjoy hearing her voice when she calls. We are truly grateful for her dedication and service to Meals and we love having her volunteering in the office every week! 

The 15th couple in our 50 for 50 series is Roger and Ann Margaret Anderson. 

Roger and Anna Margaret have a regular route they drive every Tuesday. They started volunteering with Meals For The Elderly in 1997 with St. Paul Church. They started driving with us full time when they retired. They have a family history of volunteering with MFTE as both of their parents were volunteers as well.

Anna Margaret said MFTE is her favorite place to volunteer. She said the people are always so nice and helpful, and she tells everyone about Meals For The Elderly when they are looking for volunteer opportunities. 

Roger and Anna Margaret love having a regular route because they get to see the same people every week and they get attached. They said it's like checking in on friend because they know the recipients on their route so well. One recipient even gave them cookies. 

We are so appreciative of volunteers like Roger and Anna Margaret. Their dedication and love for the recipients they deliver to is evident. We are so lucky to have them volunteer with us and we know our reicpients appreciate them as well! 

The 14th person in our 50 for 50 series is Volunteer Director, Kelly Usry.

Kelly started as a volunteer with Meals For The Elderly when she served as the church coordinator for her church in 2015. By November of 2015, she was volunteering regularly in the MFTE office helping with all areas including volunteer services, marketing, accounting, and recipient services. 

She was hired as a part time office support in June 2017 and then as the Full-Time Volunteer Director in 2017. She evaluates volunteer applications and takes careful consideration in what applicants are looking for in their volunteer experience to make the best placement possible. She oversees and places volunteers as pet food drivers, sack lunch decorators, meal expeditors, kitchen support and special event volunteers. She also coordinates and oversees the different groups and organizations that help throughout the year with packaging sack lunches, breakfast bags, holiday, and emergency meals for our recipients.  More than 3000 volunteers help support MFTE each year.

She has been married for 27 years to her husband Johnny and has 2 children, Emily and stepson Caleb (wife Charley). Emily, Caleb and Charley have all volunteered at our various events, while the company that Johnny works for has been delivering meals for 30 years.

We are so thankful to have Kelly and the volunteers love working with her. She has personally driven every in-town route at least once, and will step up and deliver when a volunteer isn't able to make it. She is essential to our daily operations and we love having her on staff! 

The 13th person in our 50 for 50 series is our current Board Vice President, Johnny Garza.

Johnny started delivering meals with Meals For The Elderly in 1989 while he was serving in the miltary. Work took him away from San Angelo in 1991, but he came back after he retired from the military in 1993 and started delivering again from 1994-1996. He started working in Civil Service at GoodFellow Air Force Base and retired again in 2016 after a 40 year career with the United States Air Force. 

Johnny said he has always had a passion for volunteering and helping those who are in need or unable to help themselves. He joined the MFTE Board in 2019 and has served on various committees, including on the Executive Board as Treasurer, and our current Vice President. He still volunteers in distribution when we need it.

Johnny is very involved with Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart where he is the Business Manager. He and his wife Patricia have 4 kids and 5 grandkids, who he enjoys spending time with. 

We are so thankful to have Johnny on our Board. His passion for serving others is evident and he brings years of knowledge to the organization. We appreciation everything he has done for us! 

The 12th person in our 50 for 50 series is Lori Rodriguez, Director of Recipient Services at Meals For The Elderly. 

Lori started with MFTE as a Social Work field student in the Fall of 2013 and did such a good job she was asked to stay for the summer. She joined as a full time staff member in the Spring of 2015. While working at MFTE, she received her Masters in Social Work from UT Arlington. 

As the Director of Recipient Services, Lori processes applications, performs home visits and reassessments with recipients. She takes care of recipient issues and concerns and makes referrals or finds resources to ensure that the needs of our recipients are being met while remaining at home. During her time at MFTE she has mentored multiple Social Work Field Students from Angelo State University. Lori is also a member of the Regional Advisory Committee on Aging for the Area Agency on Aging. 

Her big event of the year is our Seniors Still Believe Event (held each November). She has expanded and refined the campaign over the years and just last year we were able to give out over 700 Christmas Gifts thanks to her hard work and dedication. 

Outside of MFTE, she is very involved with her church. She has been married to her husband Joe for 17 years and has 3 children, Candace, Micah, and Jonah. Her husband and children are also volunteers at MFTE, with Joe having a regular route each week. We are so thankful to have Lori on our staff and we know our recipients are in good hands with her at the head of the department! 

The 11th person in our 50 for 50 series is Chase Bruton, former MFTE Board Member and President.

Chase served on the MFTE Board from 2012 - 2022 and was Board President in 2019 and 2020. 

While serving on the board, he was the Event Chair for our annual Clayshoot fundraiser and helped it grow over the 10 years he oversaw it. He is still involved with our ClayShoot as he helps emcee the event during the live auction. The Clayshoot is our largest fundraising event of the year thanks to Chase and his help making it successful.

Chase is very involved in the community as he is currently serving as Board President of the Northern Little League Association. He also has his own real estate business and enjoys spending time with his kids in various extracurricular activities.

We are so thankful for Chase and his service to Meals For The Elderly and his dedication to our Clayshoot event. He paved the way to the continued success of this event and we appreciate all he has done for us over the 10 years he served on the board. 

The 10th person in our 50 for 50 series is one of our board members, Jeff Smith. 

Jeff has been volunteering for Meals For The Elderly for over 5 years and joined the board in 2023. He is the Committee Chair for our 50th Anniversary Celebration Event and still delivers weekly for us as well. 

In addition to being involved with MFTE, Jeff owns his own business, is a hospice care consultant at Gentiva Hospice, is a fitness instructor at Crunch Fitness, and is the Executive Walk Chair for the San Angelo Walk to End Alzheimers. He is also currently working on a Doctorate degree in Health Care Administration. 

Jeff was honored as a 20 under 40 for the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce in 2023. He has a passion for philanthropy and is dedicated to giving back to our community.

We are so grateful to have him on our board and his ideas and enthusiasm allows us to better serve our recipients and fulfill our mission and will ensure we are able to continue for another 50 years!  

The 9th person in our 50 for 50 series is Anniebelle Samuel, an MFTE Recipient. 

Anniebelle is our oldest recipient on our program at 101 years old and she has been receiving meals for over 10 years. She has lived in her current house for over 50 years and she ran a beauty salon out of the back of her home for over 40 years. She says she loves being busy so when she wasn't working in her beauty salon, she was going to night school to further her education, or working as a seamstress making men's and women's clothing. 

Her and her husband were married for over 50 years before he passed away. Anniebelle has 4 grandchildren, and 6 greatgrandchildren with several living in her house with her. 

Anniebelle said she loves getting meals and always eats everything. She has gotten to know many of the volunteers and she even had some attend her 101st birthday last year. 

We do what we do every day to serve people like Anniebelle and she is just one of many amazing recipients we have on our program. She is a tesitiment to how good nutrition and being able to stay in her own home can allow her to reach milestones like 101, and we hope she has a very happy 102 birthday in June! 

The 8th person in our 50 for 50 series is Jessica Balliew - our current Board President. 

Jessica started volunteering with Meals For The Elderly in 2015 when she would help pack sack lunches for the kitchen and she joined the board the same year. She has served on the board for the past 8 years and has served on multiple committees and in various leadership capacities on the board.

A former middle school educator, her passion for health and wellness lead her to her current career at Shannon Health Club. Her leadership, passion and expertise have proven a vital asset for the organization as we continue to grow and thrive throughout the communities we serve. 

We are so thankful to have people like Jessica on our Board of Directors and we truly appreciate her continued leadership and support! 

The 7th couple in our 50 for 50 series is Steve and Eileen Cole. 

Steve and Eileen are familiar faces around the MFTE office every week. Steve has been volunteering for 5 years and is here at 5:00 am every Monday-Wednesday to help in the kitchen. Eileen has been volunteering for 4 years and helps with distribution 3 days a week. When they aren't at MFTE, Steve and Eileen both volunteer at the Wesley Soup Kitchen.

Steve won the Volunteer of the Year award at our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in 2023. We are so thankful for Steve and Eileen and their continued support of Meals For The Elderly.

We wouldn't be able to operate without dedicated volunteers like Steve and Eileen and we truly appreciate everything they do! 

The 6th person in our 50 for 50 series is Charlyn Ocker.

Charlyn was one of the very first program directors for Meals For The Elderly. She was hired in 1981,  sharing program director duties with Charlotte Barton. Charlyn took on full time program duties in 1985 when Charlotte Barton left. 

Charlyn served as CEO of Meals For The Elderly for over 40 years. She was instrumental to the success of the program. She facilitated the construction and move to the new building, and the additional add on to that building. She applied for the National Association of Meal Program (now Meals on Wheels) so we would be an affiliate program. She won multiple awards and served on various boards to advocate for our homebound recipients. Her dedication and hard work assured the success of Meals For The Elderly and allowed us to celebrate our 50th Anniversary this year.

Charlyn retired in May 2020. She enjoys spending time with her grandkids and going on multiple cruises. We thank her again for all that she did for Meals For The Elderly! 

The 5th person in our 50 for 50 series is Ray Favre.

Ray was a longtime member of the East Angelo Lions Club and loved giving back to the community. He helped install doorbells for Meals For The Elderly recipients before he started volunteering for us in 2015.

Ray had a regular route and served as a driver for over 7 years. He was passionate about volunteering and enjoyed delivering meals to recipients. He would call the office often to see if we had any extra routes he could pick up and was one of our go to substitute drivers on top of his regular route. 

After serving as a volunteer, Ray recieved meals before he passed away in August 2023. We appreciate his service to MFTE and all that he did for our community. He was a dedicated volunteer that won't be forgotten. 

The fourth group in our 50 for 50 series is the Concho Pearls Lions Club

The Concho Pearls Lions Club was originally the East Angelo Lioness Club. In 1992, they gained their charter as the Concho Pearls Lions Club operating under the East Angelo Lions Club. 

The East Angelo Lionesses started volunteering with Meals For The Elderly in 1987. Back then, we were delivering about 240 meals per day. The East Angelo Lioness Club would come into the building and make sandwiches that were sent out in the lunch sacks we delievered to help our recipients get through the weekend. 

Today, the Concho Pearls Lions Club is continuing its service to Meals For The Elderly. They are in our building every Tuesday making over 650 sandwiches that we send out. These amazing ladies are a blessing to our organization and we truly appreciate their dedication and support of our mission and our organization! 

The fourth group in our 50 for 50 series is the San Angelo ISD Bridge Program (Formerly 18+)

Students in this program gain work experience after graduation by volunteering at various buisnesses around town. This wonderful group of students volunteers at Meals in the mornings during regular school days. They decorate bags, bag snack, and do various other duties around the office as needed. 

The students are an absolute joy to have in the office and we love seeing their smiling faces every day. Tawnya, their Job Coach, does amazing work with them. We appreciate their service to Meals For The Elderly! 

The second person in our 50 for 50 series is Hazel Dooley, who was also instrumental in the implementation of our program.

Before joining Meals For The Elderly, Hazel was a teacher for many years and served as the director for the Texas A&M Expanded Nutrition program until the program completed it's mission in 1973.  

After the A&M Program was complete, Hazel took her nutrition expertise and joined the Meals For The Elderly team. She worked with Mary Alice to try and secure funding for the program.

Hazel served as the first dietician and director for the program when it operated out of the old barracks building. She would shop for groceries, plan the meals, set up routes, get volunteers, and contact merchants and individuals for donated items needed in the kitchen. 

After the program was set up, Mrs. Dooley was given an opportunity to go back to teaching. She taught for 2 more years before retiring. She passed away in February 2020 at the age of 102. 

While Mrs.Dooley wasn't with the program for long, she still made a lasting impact as her work at the beginning, set the program up for long lasting future success. 

The first person in our 50 for 50 series is Mary Alice Rodgers, founder of Meals For The Elderly. We would not be an organization without her. 

Mary Alice had a vision of delivering hot meals to the homebound elderly in San Angelo 5 days a week. She worked tirelessly to make this a reality and secure funding for the program by attending city council and county commissioner meetings as well as appearing on the local news station. 

Her vision came true in 1974 when 16 recipients recieved lunch meals delivered to them by 4 volunteers. She continued to be active in the program until she became ill and attended her last board meeting in July, 1982. She passed away in 1991 but her memory will live on forever in the organization she helped create.