Because Pets Are Family
Every act of compassion has the power to change lives, including the lives of the pets who provide comfort, companionship, and independence to those who need them most.
At Gleaning For The World, we believe helping our neighbors means caring for the whole person. Sometimes that means providing food, clothing, hygiene products, or household essentials. Other times, it means recognizing that one of the greatest sources of comfort, hope, and independence in someone’s life may have four legs and a wagging tail.
Recently, Gleaning had the privilege of delivering 534 lbs. of pet food to the AniMeals program of Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg, helping ensure that homebound seniors and individuals do not have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding the beloved pets who are such an important part of their families.
During our visit, Becky Tweedy, Director of Communications for Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg, shared the story behind the AniMeals program:
“Meals on Wheels has served the Lynchburg area for 50 years,” Becky explained. “About 20 years ago, we recognized that many of the people we serve are isolated and homebound, and their pets truly are family. We wanted to care for them, too.”
In some cases, recipients were sharing portions of their own Meals on Wheels meals with their pets because they simply could not afford pet food. While this demonstrated incredible love and devotion, it also meant that neither the person nor the pet was receiving the nutrition they needed. That realization inspired the creation of AniMeals, a program dedicated to ensuring both people and their pets receive the care they deserve.
One story especially touched our hearts… Beth Fox is just 33 years old and lives with a rapidly progressing degenerative neurological disorder. Meals on Wheels provides the specialized nutrition she needs to remain safely in her home, but another member of her household plays an equally important role in her daily life: her service dog, Kaisey.
Kaisey is much more than a pet. She monitors Beth’s health, alerts her to changes in blood sugar and oxygen levels, and assists during narcoleptic episodes, allowing Beth to maintain a level of independence that otherwise would not be possible.
As Beth shared,
“I honestly can’t put into words what Kaisey means to me. She’s my best friend. She’s everything to me.”
Managing a serious chronic illness while living on a limited income presents enough challenges without worrying about how to feed a service animal. Through AniMeals, Beth can focus on her own health, knowing Kaisey will continue receiving the nutrition she needs to remain healthy and continue providing lifesaving support.
Stories like Beth and Kaisey’s remind us that helping Our Neighbors often means caring for every member of the family. Today, the AniMeals program delivers pet food to more than 100 pets every month, providing these deliveries alongside regular Meals on Wheels routes. The program not only benefits the families receiving assistance, but also brings joy to the volunteers who deliver the food, many of whom look forward to seeing excited dogs and cats eagerly waiting for their monthly deliveries.
At Gleaning For The World, partnerships like this demonstrate what can happen when organizations come together with a shared mission of serving others. By providing pet food through our Gleaning for Pets program, we are able to support Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg as they continue caring for some of our community’s most vulnerable neighbors.
Together, we are making a difference one meal, one bag of pet food, one wagging tail, and one grateful family at a time. If you would like to support Gleaning For The World’s Helping Our Neighbors and Gleaning for Pets programs, we invite you to visit our Ways to Give page. Your generosity helps provide food, essential supplies, and hope to individuals, families, and their faithful companions throughout our community and beyond.
In service and partnership,
