Name: Liam Mackenzie
Social Justice Group: The Rights of the Elderly
Date of Fieldwork: November 9, 2017
Name of Organization: City Meals on Wheels
Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Anne Keleman
Type of Fieldwork: Direct Action
What I did:
Throughout our time at Meals on Wheels we experienced new cultures, learned amazing information about senior citizens, and gave back to the elders that have made our amazing city. We started off our day with a brief seminar on how to deliver packages to the elders signed up for Meals on Wheels, while also being shown the food and purpose of the deliveries. We were not simply given five packages of food and left to roam the streets of New York City alone, but given an in depth and informative speech and lesson by one of the volunteer coordinators. After leaving the Meals on Wheels main office, we started walking to our first seniors’ building. After knocking on the door and delivering our package, Anne, our first senior citizen, invited us in for company and tea. We talked to her about her young life and her current agility and strength. After visiting four more elders within a 10 block radius of the Meals on Wheels main office, we found that certain elders seemed ashamed of their age, others needed company and comfort, and some simply wanted to take their food without small talk and banter. No matter the circumstance, the elders were happy Meals on Wheels provided for them, and wished us the best of luck on our Social Justice project.
What I learned:
Throughout our group’s journey through New York City, we learned about the stereotypes that morph elders into people that they simply are not. After meeting Anne Kelemen and four other seniors, we learned that senior citizens are poorly depicted in the media, often as too fragile and weak. Anne, a Holocaust survivor from England, proved to us that elders are just as lively as those under 60. Anne spoke about her agility and even showed us her ability to fend for herself and live in an apartment alone.
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
After volunteering with City Meals on Wheels, our social justice group learned that justice never rests. Canceling City Meals on Wheels for just one day could cause the death of multiple elders. The boxes Meals on Wheels provide cater to homebound seniors on the verge of death. In 1966, a group of volunteers and activist found out that City Meals on Wheels would not provide food during Thanksgiving. This meant four days with no food for the seniors. Immediately the activists raised enough money to pay workers to deliver on holidays. Because of their activism, Meals on Wheels has become a nation-wide non-profit organization, built to give seniors company and food for the remaining years, months, or days of their lives. Before volunteering for City Meals on Wheels, I took walking down the street for granted. I was ignorant to the fact that my privileges were actually special. But after visiting City Meals on Wheels, and deciding to take a stand, I discovered that I live a life of luxury compared to the senior citizens we visited.
