Bedford honors Meals on Wheels volunteers

For more than half a century, they have been the last link in an important nutritional lifeline for some Bedford seniors.

Over those years, volunteer drivers in the town’s Meals on Wheels program have come to the doors of untold numbers of residents, virtually all of them elderly, none of them able to cook their own food, and presented them with a fully prepared meal.

They’ve quietly done this on their own time and at their own expense, not asking anyone to sing their praises. Last month, the Town Board sang.

In a ceremony honoring today’s drivers, Supervisor Ellen Calves greeted them at the board’s June 17 meeting, saying, “It is a pleasure to recognize our volunteers.”

Three of the drivers—Barry Haitoff, Monique Klares and Lingyun Lou—were on-hand for their recognition. Other drivers could not attend but were also honored. They were Pete Balasco, Mary Frei, Marc Lenes, Mellisa Peckham Lenes, Francesca Lynch, Joseph Panasiewicz, Ana Ribiero, Kathy Shepard, Bill Taufic, Liz Ball Taufic, Sunera Rahman, Sophie Ruttenberg and Jenny Weisberger.

Kimberly O’Brien, the assistant superintendent of recreation and parks, has coordinated the program since early this year told town officials, “The Meals on Wheels program would not be the same without our volunteer drivers.” Bedford offers the service, in all three hamlets, through an agreement with Mount Kisco, where meals are prepared at the Senior Nutrition Program at the Fox Center.

Meals on Wheels is a national organization, founded in 1954. It focuses not only on nutrition but also on social connection. And, as O’Brien learned, her drivers too understand the importance of connection.

“As a new person to the program,” O’Brien said, “I wanted to take on some of those runs myself and meet some of our recipients.” That experience showed her “how much our recipients have come into connection with our drivers. They feel cared for and listened to.”

In talking with residents in the program, O’Brien heard that drivers delivered more than meals: one joined a chorus of Yule carols, another helped with cable-box issues and “when someone’s light bulb went out, they changed it.”

Those drivers—some of them have been volunteering for nearly two decades—make daily weekday runs as well as Friday visits to deliver weekend meals for 30 to 40 residents. “That’s more than 15 runs a week we make to people’s homes,” O’Brien said.

Volunteers make scheduled deliveries for “weeks and weeks at a time,” she said. But when they need some time off, O’Brien can turn to her roster of substitute drivers. “I’ll call at 9 [or] 10 o’clock to say, ‘Hey, in about an hour, can you deliver for two hours?’ And they say, ’Sure, I’d love to help the community out.’"

To join the corps of volunteer drivers—regularly scheduled or backup—or if you are a homebound senior, more than 60 years old, and could benefit from this service, email O'Brien at kobrien@bedfordny.gov.

Babbitt Road Stop Signs

Acting on residents’ requests, the town is looking to install stop signs at three points along a half mile stretch of Babbitt Road in Bedford Hills.

Public Works Commissioner Kevin Winn supported the requests, saying he agreed that the intersections had limited sight distances. “Stop signs, given the sight-distance issues, should be a good thing,” he said.

The Town Board scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. on July 15. The board also approved contracts giving the green light for construction to begin on safety improvements and a sidewalk for the Babbitt/Harris Road intersection. Work is expected to take about three months, starting this summer.

Stop signs will provide traffic controls at three intersections. Babbitt Road would become a full stop in both directions at its intersection with Franklin Avenue. Cars on Franklin would also have to stop before entering Babbitt. 

Drivers pulling out of Payne Avenue onto Babbitt have “extremely limited” sight distances, Winn said. “I recommend that stop signs be installed in both directions on Babbitt Road.”

Residents also asked for a stop sign on Glen Road at its intersection with Babbitt. “I concur with the request due to limited sight distance exiting Glen Road,” Winn told the board in a memo.

Wildlife Corridor

Planning consultant Ted Fink updated the board via Zoom on progress mapping a Bedford wildlife corridor meant to ensure clean air and water as well as preserve open space.