Expedition of surprising proportions: Meals on Wheels delivers secret Santa gifts to county residents

Meals on Wheels volunteers Brian Kleinfall, of Plano, and his daughter, Kayla, knocked on Love Cole's apartment door on Thursday, eagerly waiting to wow her with a gift from her secret Santa.

Cole looks forward to her daily visits from Collin County's Meals on Wheels (MOW) volunteers, but it's about more than the food. It's the conversation she hungers for most.

"I'm in the home all the time by myself," Cole said. "Everybody's so friendly and caring, it's like one of my friends is coming up here."

Cole's stop was just one of many for the Kleinfalls, who, along with other volunteers, delivered personalized presents to more than 600 recipients in Collin County. The delivery - which took place over two days last week in parts of McKinney and Plano - was part of Brandon Tomes of Subaru's and Subaru of Plano's annual Share the Love event.

The partnership with Subaru also pays for the program itself, as MOW received a $10,000 grant to pay for its food and operations last year.

"We're really tickled we pulled this off," said Peggy Click, MOW volunteer. "We're trying to get at least that much this year."

The Kleinfall family has been delivering food, presents and gift baskets for about a year-and-a-half through MOW, and said the Secret Santa program is an opportunity for the community and MOW volunteers to get involved, to step outside their daily routine and into the holiday spirit.

"I really like handing out the harvest boxes [at Thanksgiving], too," Kayla said. "Sometimes people pull out their wallets thinking they have to pay, so it's like every box we deliver is a surprise."

Many MOW clients are disabled and, oftentimes, living below the poverty line and have no support from family or friends, Kleinfall said. To them, these gifts may be the only ones they receive this holiday season.

"Clients vary for all different reasons [and] they all have special instructions," Kleinfall said. "We wanted to show [our children] how to give back because we're Christians and we believe in caring for the widows and children."

To ensure speedy delivery, Subaru employees picked up the gifts from the MOW office and partnered with regular route volunteers like the Kleinfalls, driving them to each destination. The car dealer has partnered with MOW - a program provided by the Collin County Committee on Aging - for the past three years.

"You don't have to be poor to get Meals on Wheels," Click said. "Some people pay us, and if you can't pay then that's fine. It's to keep people independent, give them wellness checks and companionship. They get really attached to our folks. This mission here is a love for all of us."

For more information on the Collin County Committee on Aging or about the Meals and Wheels program, visit www.cccoaweb.org.

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