Jeanine Walton Trades Annual Leave for Weekly Joy to Deliver Meals on Wheels

Jeanine Walton has been giving back to her community since 1993, but it wasn’t until early this year that she found her “hour-and-a-half of fun” with Meals on Wheels.

“I don’t look at it as work. I look at it as my Thursday hour-and-a-half of fun,” Walton said.

Walton lives in the eastern side of Prince William County and has lived in the area for around 14 years. She works full-time as a civilian in budget and financial management for the federal government. In order to prioritize volunteering weekly, Jeanine takes an hour of annual leave, combined with her 30-minute lunch break, to spend 90 minutes delivering meals to seniors every Thursday. She emphasized that she never thought of losing leave time, but instead saw an opportunity: just one hour of her annual leave a week could be used for lasting, positive change in her community.

Like many families across the United States, Walton struggled to care for her out-of-town elderly loved ones during the COVID pandemic. With one grandmother in New York and another in Lynchburg, Walton wished they had a service like Meals on Wheels to provide food and a friendly check-in. Knowing that Prince William County offered the service, she was inspired to volunteer locally.

The Prince William Area Agency on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program delivers hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors, within the tri-jurisdictional areas of Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and Manassas Park. Meals are prepared fresh at the two senior centers facilities in Prince William and delivered twice a week by volunteers like Walton.

“It’s a two-fold situation, and I see that when I deliver to these seniors,” Walton said, emphasizing that the personal check-ins are just as important as the meals. Many seniors have limited social interaction, and through her dedicated Thursday deliveries, Walton has steadily built meaningful relationships with them.

During a visit, one of Walton’s regular clients invited her in to meet her two cats and see her collection of more than 100 meticulously cared-for plants. Walton avoids asking about private medical issues, but after earning Ms. Smith’s trust, she shared her story voluntarily. Since then, Walton gently reminds her to eat well and stay mindful of sun exposure.

“A lot of clients have started to become more engaging and talk, and it’s good because that means they see me, I see you, and it’s a good thing,” Walton stated.

Although Walton enjoys her time with the seniors, she's careful not to overstay. “I gotta keep moving,” she said, aiming to deliver all her meals within a 90-minute window. Yet, those few minutes with each client are invaluable.

“The impact is, somebody’s actually gonna look at me, somebody’s actually gonna say hello to me, ask me how I’m doing… yeah, two minutes makes a difference.”

This brief connection also extends to the clients’ families. Walton has built strong relationships with relatives, who appreciate the extra care she provides. “If the family member comes to visit twice a month, and I’m the Meals on Wheels person going in weekly, then the family member says, ‘Hey, do you mind if we could keep in touch? You know, I like how my mom lights up when she talks about you.’” This relationship allows family members to check in with Walton about their loved ones. She believes these connections lead to “more comprehensive care for that client, and that’s so beautiful.”

Walton encourages the Prince William community to get involved, saying, “I hope more people will join in on the fun.”

If you're looking to add an hour and a half to two hours of fun to your week, contact Tracy Solomon with the Prince William Area Agency on Aging at 703-792-4583 or [email protected] to learn more about volunteering with Meals on Wheels.