Sloan has been a proud Open Hand volunteer for five years, delivering meals directly to our neighbors in need across the city. You can catch him on his regular route every Wednesday, loading up his trunk with a smile that he carries with him to every delivery.
Chronic illness affects everyone differently, but for many of our home-delivered meal clients, their chronic illness leaves them homebound and isolated. "A lot of times when I pull up with a delivery, folks are lonely. All they want is someone to shoot the breeze with on their front porch. So, I stay and get to know them... and they’re pretty awesome.”
As a recent retiree, he’s grateful to have the extra time to give back through Open Hand. A volunteer since his youth, Sloan remembers his mom dragging him along to various meal deliveries on behalf of his local church. She taught him through example, and he strives to keep the lesson to heart.
Sloan is always willing to go above and beyond what we ask of our volunteers, from bringing meals inside for the clients who need assistance, to changing their smoke detector battery. He loves the simple act of watching a person’s face light up with delight with each delivery. It’s what drives his compassion and desire to connect with every neighbor beyond the simple “hello” and “goodbye.”
“You're meeting someone's mom, someone's grandma," he says. "And sometimes, you are the only one checking on them.”
Once, while delivering meals, Sloan came across an older woman whose apartment had flooded: she was sweeping water out of her front door. When he found out her landlords weren’t going to do anything about it, he immediately contacted Open Hand’s Client Services team. Together we were able to ensure she had the support she needed, a feat that would not have been possible without that simple connection Sloan was able to make through his meal delivery.
People like Sloan are at the heart of Open Hand: one delivery, one hello, one smile at a time. Through a simple home-delivered meal we are breaking barriers to care, so no one is left to face their health conditions alone.
Thank you, Sloan, and to all our volunteers, for the love and compassion you share with our clients with every delivery.
