As part of its Random Acts of Sharing on Dec. 5, 2019, Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels accepted more than 150 holiday cards to be shared with meal recipients, all created by the resident crafters.

Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels has received a $4,175 grant from Meals on Wheels America for its participation in Subaru of America’s twelfth annual “Share the Love” campaign.

During the event from Nov. 14, 2019, through Jan. 2, 2020, Subaru of America Inc. donated $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the customer’s choice of participating charities, including Meals on Wheels America, of which Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels is a member.

Local activities held during the campaign included a Subaru Share the Love “Stuff the Trunks” holiday open house to benefit The Salvation Army of Dunkirk.

Those attending were invited to stuff the trunks of two Subaru vehicles to help The Salvation Army fill holiday baskets for needy area families. In addition, area organizations, individuals and businesses were invited to perform “Random Acts of Sharing,” to spread cheer throughout the holiday season.

Participants included Upward Bound, Westfield Rotary, WCA Home and “A Stitch and A Prayer” knitting circle at Harvest Chapel in Fredonia. Meals on Wheels client Harry Shelton of Dunkirk created more than 200 plastic canvas ornaments to share with other Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels clients and area assisted living facilities.

“This annual support from Subaru and Meals on Wheels America is crucial to helping maintain this safety-net service for our community’s most vulnerable population,” said Debra Pacos, Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels executive director. “Thanks to this generous grant we will be able to serve more local seniors in need through meal delivery and well-being checks, especially important as we encounter each new challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We also want to thank the community, as well as our board, volunteers and staff for making our “Stuff the Trunk” event such a success. Special thanks goes to all who performed those “Random Acts of Sharing” that brightened the holiday season for so many.”

Since 2008, the Subaru Share the Love Event has helped local Meals on Wheels programs deliver 2.3 million meals to vulnerable seniors nationwide. During this year’s campaign, “Stuff the Trunk” events like the one held by Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels generated more than 23,000 grocery bags full of additional food.

A United Way community partner, Meals on Wheels also receives support for its programs and operations from the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging, area foundations and service organizations as well as churches and individual donors.

Now in its 50th year of community service, Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels continues to deliver meals to homebound seniors and those sheltering at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about Dunkirk-Fredonia Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals program, call 366-8822.