More Than a Meal: Local leaders step up to deliver connection and care

by | Apr 2, 2026 | News, Senior Scope

Five people stand in a semi circle looking at the camera for the presentation of a funding check from the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly to Coastline.

The Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly present a $4,500 check to Coastline to sponsor an entire day’s worth of meals in the town of Dartmouth. Making the presentation is Maria Connor, FOE president (second from right). Also included are (l-r): Gerami Pacheco, Coastline nutrition director; Ellen Hull Dartmouth FOE, Justin Lees, Coastline CEO, Maria Connor, and Claudia Settele, Dartmouth FOE.

 

“This helps quite a bit, let me tell you. It’s very, very convenient—and it helps,” Alan Costa of Dartmouth shared with selectmen David Tatelbaum and Chris O’Neil as they arrived at his door with lunch alongside his regular Meals on Wheels driver, Stacy Tinkham.An older man in a wheelchair accepts a lunch from another man.

The two selectmen were volunteering as part of Coastline’s annual March for Meals campaign, taking time not only to deliver meals, but to connect with the people who rely on them.

“The service is excellent,” Alan told them, adding with a grin toward Stacy, “You’ve got a heck of a girl working for you.”

Moments like these are at the heart of March for Meals. Throughout the month, town officials, elected leaders, and Council on Aging staff joined Coastline in Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and New Bedford to help pack and deliver meals, while also seeing firsthand what the program means to the people it serves.

For many older adults, a delivered meal is more than nutrition. It is consistency, independence, and reassurance. It is a familiar face at the door, a brief conversation, and the comfort of knowing someone is checking in each weekday. These visits help people remain safely in their homes while staying connected to their community.

An older man stands in the doorway of his home holding the meal that has just been delivered from a man in a suit who is looking at the camera.

Coastline is deeply grateful to the local leaders who gave their time and energy to support this effort. Your willingness to step into the day-to-day work of meal delivery sends a powerful message: that older adults in our communities matter.

In Dartmouth, we extend our sincere thanks to selectmen Heidi Silva Brooks, David Tatelbaum, and Chris O’Neil, Amy DiPietro, Dartmouth COA director, COA staff, and the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly for their continued support.

In Fairhaven, we are grateful to Rep. Mark Sylvia and Rep. Chris Markey, Charlie Murphy and Natalie Mello of the Fairhaven Select Board, Town Administrator Keith Hickey, and Martha Reed and her Council on Aging team for rolling up their sleeves and joining us in service to residents.A smiling woman works to put meals on a tray while two kitchen works observe from either side of her.A man and woman pose with an older man in his doorway as they deliver his luncheon meal.

In New Bedford, we thank Rep. Tony Cabral and Council on Aging Director Pamela Amaral-Lema for their ongoing commitment to older adults in the city.

And to our incredible nutrition staff and dedicated meal drivers, thank you. You show up every day with care, kindness, and consistency. You are the heart of this program and it is evident in every delivery.