Meals on Wheels

Senior Airman Dynesha Adams, personnel technician with the 341st Force Support Squadron, places decorative stickers on food container lids Nov. 23 that were to be used to package Thanksgiving dinners for Meals on Wheels recipients. As much preparation ahead of time that could be done took place Nov. 23. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)

Meals on Wheels

Left to right, Senior Airman Ashley Gray, munitions operations with the 16th Munitions Squadron; Airman 1st Class Adam Roberts, traffic management apprentice with the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron; and Staff Sgt. Michael Stordeur, group program coordinator with the 341st Operations Support Squadron, prepare pies. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)

Meals on Wheels

Clara Donney, (right), a Meals on Wheels recipient of a Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by the Great Falls Community Food Bank, is all smiles as Airman 1st Class Courtney Taylor, customer service technician with the 341st Comptroller Squadron, delivers her meal. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen)

Airmen help out with meals

Published Dec. 1, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- More than 70 members of Team Malmstrom volunteered their time towards the Meals on Wheels program at the Great Falls Food Bank to make and deliver more than 380 Thanksgiving meals to elderly members of the community, Nov. 23 and 24.

The meals complete with turkey, ham, mash potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, pie and fruit were donated by Great Falls community members, and also included cards made by children from Riverview Elementary School, Malmstrom's Child Development Center, Family Child Care and the Youth Center.

Without the planning of Senior Airman Patricia Carnahan, adverse action technician with the 341st Force Support Squadron, and Senior Airman Dynesha Adams, personnel technician with the 341st FSS, Meals on Wheels, a need-based program, wouldn't have been able to support a meal for nearly 400 recipients.

"We can handle more Thanksgiving meals because we have people from Malmstrom helping us," said Nancy Wilson, Meals on Wheels program manager. "We wouldn't be able to do it without Malmstrom."

For first time Meals on Wheels volunteer, Staff Sgt. Amanda Whiting, chef trainer with the 341st
Operations Support Squadron, this was a volunteer opportunity she can't wait to do again.

"I volunteered here because the last thing anyone should feel is alone on Thanksgiving; if this is my way of ensuring one person doesn't feel that way, then by all means, I have to help out," Whiting said with enthusiasm.

Master Sgt. Kirk McManious, Airman Leadership School commandant with the 341st FSS, echoed Whiting's sentiments.

"This is my sixth year volunteering at Meals on Wheels and I just like helping people out people who are less fortunate," he said. "To be able to come back on this day and do this for them, [Meals on Wheels recipients], is a blessing for me and my family."

The Airmen spent Thanksgiving morning away from friends and family to make other members of the Great Falls community feel less alone on the special holiday.

"I've been here for four months, and this is definitely something I will do again," said Airman 1st Class David Guilds, emergency management technician with the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron. "It feels good to get out and give back to the community of Great Falls."