• For my community program development project, I was assigned to collaborate with Whistlestop’s Meals on Wheels program and the Census 2020 initiative. First off, Whistlestop is an organization that is able to offer a variety of services in efforts to increase the overall quality of life in seniors living in Marin County, California. The services offered include specialized transportation services, affordable healthy meals, educational classes, and cultural gatherings. Whistlestop strives to promote independence, well being, and inclusion in older adults. Whistlestop’s Meals on Wheels program is a program operated by both volunteer and paid drivers. This program delivers low cost meals to home bound older adults ages 60 and older. They deliver up to 3 times per week for approximately 250 households in total throughout Marin County.
• My experiences working with Whistlestop’s Meals on Wheels program has been eye opening. Prior to this, I had no idea how under-counted this particular population was and how isolated they were from society. Since Marin County is a fairly wealthy county, I thought that the elderly here were better off than other parts of California. However, after collaborating with Whistlestop Meals on Wheels Program and Census 2020, I learned more on why they are historically under-counted even in Marin County and from there my team and I had to figure out how we can help.
• The elderly population, especially the home bound older adults are historically under-counted for a variety of reasons. Many of the home bound elderly live alone and are socially isolated. These factors together make them especially vulnerable to being victims of various scams since they don’t have anyone they can trust to consult with. Many opt to protect themselves by assuming all information that comes to their door as dangerous because they have no means of verifying its validity. By doing so, they may miss out on crucial information such as those pertaining to the Census 2020 or community support related opportunities. This is why there is a need for the creation of “trusted messengers”, whom of which will bridge the gap between these home bound older adults and the community.
• To best suit the needs of this organization and their beneficiaries, I gathered information from various avenues in efforts to create the most evidence-based and socially informed program possible. This program was developed based on research on the literature available, multiple interviews and ongoing conversations with both representatives from Whistlestop and Census 2020, as well as first hand experiences from shadowing Meals on Wheels drivers through a ride along.
• From the ride along trip with the Meals on Wheels driver, I learned that many of these home bound older adults crave social contact and are in need of someone they can trust that can relay valuable information to them.
• Although the Census 2020 campaign is temporary and aims to ensure that the count is accurate as possible to receive federal funding for services, it brought to light a very valuable role that fits perfectly with Whistlestop’s Meals on Wheels drivers, that is, the role of a “trusted messenger”. Their role as a “trusted messenger” can be cultivated and maintained well after the conclusion of the 2020 Census data gathering period. This is where my team’s program development project comes in.

Overview of Program and Pilot:

• My community program is titled, Stay Social! Its mission is to empower volunteers to develop trusting relationships with home bound seniors to promote quality of life. This program was developed in hopes of training Meals on Wheels drivers on effective communication skills and give them the necessary supports to build trusting relationships with the home bound older adults that they serve.
• The pilot for this program was implemented in the form of a communications skills workshop in collaboration with the Census 2020 representative. For the workshop, videos were created to suggest ways to build relationships with older adults as well as pamphlets were created for drivers to take home and reference on the job.
• Through this project, my occupational lens was enhanced through my own development of skills to discern the needs of various stakeholders in this project and building on a theme that not only meet the needs of a particular population, but also sparks interests everyone else. This experience has allowed me to think beyond the length of Community Program Development course and the data collection period for the Census 2020. It got me to think about the implications for this program, what it could do for the community well beyond my involvement and how to make it sustainable for those that keep the program going.
• As an entry-level OT practitioner, I will need to learn how to develop interventions that will help my future clients well beyond my time with them. It got me to ask myself, how can I continue to make an impact and improve their quality of life even after my clients stop seeing me?
• The development of this program was definitely a challenge in itself. Ironically, one of the challenges I faced during the development of this program had to do with communication. For one, it was hard to set up times and dates with Whistlestop to gather data and implement the program. To pass that hurdle, I learned how to be persistent yet courteous of the busy schedules. Finding that balance took a little thought and discussion with my teammates. There were also some issues connecting the dots between Meals on Wheels, Census 2020, and implications for OT in the initial stages of this project. From that, I learned that I needed to gather information from all angles in order to find common themes and interests among the three and from there was where my community program came to life.
• The biggest challenge however was getting the drivers to attend the workshop. I honestly didn’t think about it until the day of the workshop when I realized that the only two people that attended worked in management. And that… sparked a light bulb within me. Our initial pilot should have been a pitch for the Meals on Wheels management team!
• Some important skills that I specifically developed through engaging in the program development process included improvising my presentation on the spot to best suit the interests of the audience I have in front of me and learning how to convince management to get on board with the program we developed to implement on their team of drivers.
• In terms of my future practice as an entry level OT, the first skill will help me as an OT practitioner be able to think on my feet as plans can fall through and it is crucial that I can go with the flow of the situation rather than freezing up. The second skill will help me advocate for my ideas and be able to pitch it to my superiors for permission to follow through on it.
• All in all, this experience has opened my eyes to the inequities in the community around me and how it includes persons of all ages, races, socioeconomic status, and gender. With what I know now, I hope to continue advocating for vulnerable populations such as the home bound older adults by educating others on their needs and how they can help.