On December 12, 2019, community members in Randolph rallied around the Cattaraugus County Department of the Aging to help assemble 1,800 blizzard bag meals for homebound older adults throughout the county. “Blizzard bags” are bags containing three shelf-stable meals for homebound older adults to use when Meals on Wheels cannot be delivered due to bad weather.

The blizzard bag party was held as part of Cattaraugus County’s participation in Subaru’s annual Share the Love Event. Over 40 people were on hand to help, and, in a surprise effort, 32 community members showed up to volunteer and 600 meal bags were packed in under an hour!

The shelf-stable food items were provided through generous donations from Sysco’s Nourishing Neighbors Program, Kellogg’s, and the Subaru Share the Love program in collaboration with Meals on Wheels of America. Additional support was provided by employees from Sysco and HPSI, Cattaraugus County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program members, and Department of the Aging staff.

Cathy Mackay, director of the Cattaraugus County Department of the Aging, would like to extend a special thank you to the following people for their true spirit of giving: Howie Van Rennsselaer, Barbara Brown, Kathy Sickles, Frances Dexter, Kenneth Burkey, Linda Burkey, Mike Giordano, Emily Giordano, Randy Biscup, John Lockwood, Clara Lockwood, Roberta Umstead, Janine Shields, Cathy Kinney, Melissa Davis, Paulette Petransky, Betty Olson, Patty Carlson, Joanne Carr, Marlene Wendell, Mary Visker, Marion Walters, Sue Wilcox, Lowell Wilcox, Beverly Kehe, Roland Kehe, Marian Kovel, Gretchen Hind, Janice Isaman, Duane Isaman, Dawn Durow, Joann McGraw, Janice Biscup, Ellen Herner, Kim Connell, Carol MacWilliams, Lisa Swaciak, Stephen Brooks, Dan Willow, Patrick Murphy, and Jamie Roelke.