Pocket Life
By Corky Mau
March 2023
Meals Milestone
Seniors count on deliveries of food and friendship
March marks a milestone for Meals on Wheels. The program has delivered nutritious meals to homebound seniors for more than 50 years. When Sacramento County discontinued its nutrition program in 2010, the Asian Community Center took over. Since then, local seniors have enjoyed 6 million meals.
About 1,400 residents participate in the meal program. Linda Revilla directs the work and says 56% of recipients are older than 75. Most are women who live alone. “A visit from one of our volunteers can make all the difference to seniors,” she says.
The program relies on 200 volunteers who assist with meal preparation and home delivery. They also serve meals at All Seasons cafés in neighborhood community centers.
Phyllis Goldstein has volunteered for 38 years. She says, “I find it worthwhile to give back to our community. Right now, I have the Country Club route. I’ve seen lots of smiles and tears. Sometimes I invite them to my home for the holidays.”
Some seniors receive hot meal deliveries five days a week. Others get a five-pack of frozen meals once a week. Nathan Stanley says, “I’ve been delivering meals in the Del Paso neighborhood for four years. Meal delivery also allows me to do wellness checks. I’ll never forget the guy who called the office on Christmas day to thank me for visiting him. I was so touched. I took him a batch of my wife’s homemade cookies.”
Wayne Takahashi is a newer volunteer. He delivers in Rancho Cordova. “I had a career as a firefighter,” he says. “I volunteer because I enjoy connecting with people. Once a woman told me she hadn’t been outside for eight months because of COVID. Now she looks forward to our weekly chats.”
For information on volunteering or donating to Meals on Wheels, visit mowsac.org.
ANTI-HATE MARCH
At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Kennedy High School graduate Angie Eng developed a political art performance series titled “Right On!” Its goal: Stop Asian hate crimes.
Eng has organized a Downtown event for Saturday, March 25. The walk starts at noon at the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse. Up to 150 walkers will serve as “human billboards,” Eng says, and wear T-shirts with dates from Supreme Court cases targeting Asian-Americans. The event will also feature drummers from Asian and Pacific Island cultures.
“The purpose of these marches is to transform hate and ignorance into compassion and understanding,” Eng says. The project is supported by local Asian American Pacific Islander organizations and Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture.
Volunteers can register at angieeng.com/right-on.
MARIACHI MUSIC
Mariachi Bonitas releases its first album, “Por Ser Mujer,” Sunday, March 12, at B Street Theatre.
Dinorah Klingler, founder of the all-female group and Pocket resident, was named one of Sacramento’s top 25 Latino Change Makers.
Get tickets for the 6 p.m. concert at bstreettheatre.org. A copy of the new album comes with each ticket.
PROM RECYCLING
Here’s a solution for old prom clothing taking space in your closet. Donate them to Sacramento teens.
Public libraries will accept gently used formal dresses, suits, shoes and accessories through March 30. A giveaway is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, from 2–5:30 p.m., at the Robbie Waters Library.
GET LITERARY
Enjoy appetizers and stories at Eat. Drink. Be Literary with author Jennifer Basye Sander at the Asian Community Center, Wednesday, March 1, from 10–11:30 a.m.
Hear how alcohol and food influenced the life and works of Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel and others. Sample a morning cocktail and coffee. Register online at accsv.org or call (916) 394-6399.
SATURDAY DINNER
Portuguese Hall hosts a steak and oyster dinner Saturday, March 18. Doors open at 7 p.m. The $65 meals include salad, baked potato, wine and dessert. Call (916) 947-6695 for tickets.
Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
