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Dennis Lundblad, LSS meals volunteer driver, is shown with Betty Stanton a recipient of the meals. Contributed photo
The Sunday before Memorial Day, Dennis Lundblad was sitting in a pew at his church scanning the worship bulletin. On previous Sundays, he had read about the need for volunteer drivers to deliver meals to older adults through the LSS Meals service in Pipestone, a program of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. But on this Sunday, the words seemed to leap from the page and call out to him directly. He suddenly realized: “This is what I need to do,” he said. “It was divine intervention.”
Life has been challenging for Lundblad who lost his wife to bone cancer three and a half years ago after caring for her for two years while she was sick. “I was in a rut and just felt kind of lost,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“I happened to be in the office when he called to learn more about becoming a volunteer and shared that he could stop by and chat,” said Tanya Witte, program coordinator for LSS Meals. “He was there in two minutes! The next day, he went on the delivery route with me, and he was all in.”
“Dennis has been going through about five years of absolute YUCK,” she added. “He was filled with depression and loneliness and spent three years trying to figure out how to move on with his life and be happy again. He’s doing such purposeful work here and has found some of that happiness again.”
Dennis Lundblad, LSS meals volunteer driver, is shown with Joyce
Buhman a recipient of the meals. Contributed photo
Lundblad delivers meals to about 25 households each day during the week on a 10-mile route around town. He arrives at the senior center where LSS is based every morning at 9:05 a.m. – five minutes after the office opens to go over plans for his daily route. He also helps with other tasks as needed.
“It’s just so rewarding for me to see the smiles on people’s faces when they get their meals, and you just know that they really appreciate what you are doing for them,” Lundblad said.
He added that the role he plays each day is much more than delivering meals to older adults who may have difficulty getting out in the community. Volunteers provide a daily wellness check as well as a friendly face and an opportunity to connect with people who may not receive many visitors. He’s also had the opportunity on occasion to help older adults with tasks that they find are difficult for them, such as opening a jar with a tight lid or understanding how to change the thermostat from heat to air conditioning.
“I think Dennis is great,” shared Joyce Buhman, who has received home-delivered meals for several years through LSS Meals. “He’s always prompt, and you couldn’t ask for a nicer gentleman. We always have a little bit of conversation and then he is on his way. He’s just a good person.”
Betty Stanton is another neighbor in the community who appreciates the meals service and friendly, warm greeting she receives from Lundblad when he arrives at her front door. “He is very polite,” she said. “He always checks to see how you are. He is a pleasure to have coming by.”
There are some perks to being a volunteer driver, too. Some meal recipients have had special dessert bars or Rice Krispy Treats waiting for him at the door. “It’s glorious,” he shared.
“He’s a wonderful fit here and everyone loves him, and he loves them, too!” Witte said. “These past few months, I have had the extreme pleasure of sitting back and actually watching the depression leave his body.”
While Lutheran Social Service has attracted several volunteer drivers recently, more volunteer drivers are needed to bring meals to the homes of older adults in the community. Currently, Witte said she is reaching out to local congregations, businesses and other organizations to find volunteers who might be able to commit to delivering meals for a week each month, or on a consistent basis that works for volunteers.
In addition to home-delivered meals, Lutheran Social Service also offers daily, nutritious meals starting at 11:30 a.m. at the senior center, along with a coffee hour at 10 a.m. each weekday. Reservations for dining in are preferred to ensure there are meals for everyone. For more information about becoming a volunteer driver or receiving home-delivered meals, please call 605-359-6722 or email tanya.witte@lssmn.org.
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota began in 1865 when a Lutheran pastor and his congregation opened an orphanage for children near Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota. Today, with 2,500 employees and valuable contributions from volunteers statewide, Lutheran Social Service helps one in 63 Minnesotans through services that inspire hope, change lives, and build community. Some services, such as Adoption, Financial Counseling, Supported Decision-Making and Guardianship Options, Pooled Trust and Senior Companions support residents in other states as well. Through its mission, the organization seeks to foster safe and supportive homes for children, restore health and wellness in families, empower people with identified needs to live the lives they imagine, and promote health, independence and quality of life for older adults. For comprehensive information about the work of Lutheran Social Service, visit lssmn.org.