Extracted from article by James D. Coppinger published in Spark Magazine (Nov 2025)
When Tom Drew retired from Kellogg in 2023 he had three clear goals for retirement: play more golf, travel with his wife, Jody, and give back to his community. Searching the United Way’s website for volunteer opportunities, one program immediately caught his attention—Milestone Senior Services’ Home Delivered Meals (Meals on Wheels). What drew Tom in was a personal memory: his grandmother had received Meals on Wheels in their small community in Iowa. She lived to be 104 and remained in her own home until she was 99. Jody also had close relatives who had benefited from the program. For Tom, volunteering with Milestone delivering meals to seniors felt like the perfect way to “give back.” After doing a “ride along” to see what it was like, Tom started volunteering right away. Currently, Tom volunteers two to three days a week with Milestone’s Home Delivered Meal program where he is either a driver or a hopper. Driver’s drive the designated route and hopper’s “hop” out of the car to deliver the meals to the customer’s door. He says he enjoys every aspect of it—especially getting to know the clients and building relationships with them. For many of the Home Delivered Meal customers, Milestone’s hopper might be the only person they see or talk to that day.
As a devoted dog owner, Tom recalls one particular encounter when a woman he delivered to had just lost her dog – her only companion for sixteen years. Tom says he sat with her, offering comfort and sharing when they lost their first dog after a similar time. “These are the moments that mean so much,” he reflects. Tom said, “While I give my time and rack up miles on my car, I am repaid many times over in personal fulfillment and the joy of connecting with wonderful people.”
Milestone Senior Services is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee for the RSVP and Senior Companion Programs in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people aged 55 and older to serve their communities. The RSVP program connects volunteers with opportunities throughout the community. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Milestone’s Volunteer Services at 269-382-0515 or apply on our Volunteer Services webpage.
