All of us at Meals on Wheels extend a huge thank you to Donna Amaral who is stepping down from her job as the MOW Treasurer early in the new year. She has served the charity in that capacity for eleven years. However anyone who has set foot in MOW over that time period will tell you that her work extended far beyond the role of Treasurer. She also took on HR duties and oversaw building maintenance, ultimately creating a database and forms that are used by other members of staff to keep the organization running smoothly.
Peter Smith, Chairman of MOW Board noted Donna’s contribution to the organisation. “We are really sorry to be saying goodbye to Donna who is retiring after 11 years of incredibly dedicated service to Meals on Wheels. In title she was our Treasurer and bookkeeper. In reality, Donna did everything at one time or another. She could run our kitchen – and did so often. She could sign up volunteers, deliver meals or call out the repairmen. Always wiling to step in and help, she was so often the glue that held us together. We will miss her.”
Looking back, Ms. Amaral notes that she has always enjoyed charity work having served as a both a Candy Striper and Pink Lady in earlier years. At Meals on Wheels, she found a “friendly and happy place to work. Everyone works together which makes it fun. And just as we look after our clients, our clients look after us. We will often get a call from a client asking after their MOW driver if they haven’t seen that person in a while. That’s very gratifying.”
So, what’s next for Ms. Amaral? After a short break, she plans to continue working with a small roster of personal clients and eventually get back into volunteering. She and her husband Gilbert also hope to do some travelling in the year ahead, specifically to see their daughter Teresa and grandson Kanhi in England whom they’ve not seen in 6 years.
Stepping into Ms. Amaral’s shoes will be Judy Thompson. We welcome Judy and will tell you more about her in a future article. Stay tuned!