MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Meals on Wheels may not be delivering in Midland County Wednesday because of icy road condition, but that doesn’t mean that they’re taking the day off or that seniors in need are going hungry.

“We do not like shutting down operations because our seniors really depend on us. We serve about 500 meals a day for local Midland seniors that are homebound, so days like this create quite a challenge,” said Senior Life Midland Executive Director, Kathleen Kirwan-Haynie.

Their Midland prep kitchen is usually busy putting together hot lunches for hungry seniors, but this week, many of those seniors are enjoying frozen meals that were made with love in advance.

“We do keep track with what’s going on with the weather. Being native-Midlanders, we’re kind of used to this late cold snap every year. And so we do deliver frozen meals in advance of the icy weather so that we know that our seniors do have something to eat,” said Kirwan-Haynie.

But Midland’s Meals on Wheels does more than just deliver hot food. They also make sure many of the most vulnerable members of our community are safe, warm, and cared for, and say someone will hit the road for a local senior in the case of an emergency.

“When we close, we really don’t ever shut down. We still answer the phones during work hours. If there are emergencies, we call first responders or even deliver things that are really, really needed,” said Kirwan-Haynie.

The Midland Meals on Wheels team also says they’re chomping at the bit to get back out there after a 3rd day of canceled deliveries. But they do take comfort in the fact that most clients are telling them over the phone that they’re holding up just fine.