Orange County professor brings meals and connection to seniors in need
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
In Orange County, where over 37,000 seniors struggle with hunger, a local professor is making a difference by volunteering with the Seniors First Meals on Wheels program.
Teddy Duncan, a full-time professor at Valencia College and a Ph.D. student at the University of Central Florida, dedicates time each week to delivering meals and companionship to seniors, many of whom consider him a blessing.
“Ay eso es un amor … yo le digo, my baby! You call him your baby? My baby!” one senior said, laughing. “Always when he comes, it’s good morning, how are you today, the laugh, always the expression … the big smile? Yes!”
According to Seniors First, volunteers are often the only person a client will see or speak to on a given day.
“He spends a little time with me, keeps me company; he’s a nice guy,” another senior said.
The visits also provide essential safety checks for the seniors. Teddy explained that volunteering doesn’t require much time.
“The route takes an hour; the whole thing takes an hour and a half,” he said. “You kinda think you don’t have time, but take a look at your screen time. You spend two hours on your phone, you can spend an hour and a half volunteering.”
Seniors First considers Teddy a great ambassador for their cause. At 29, he is much younger than most of the program’s volunteers, who are primarily retirees. Despite his busy schedule, he makes time to give back and encourages others to do the same.
“What you’re doing feels very consequential because you’re having an encounter with someone,” Teddy said. “You know you’re making a contribution to their life because they’re waiting for you to have breakfast. It’s like the platitude about teaching, which is true, that you learn more than you teach your students … that same thing applies to Meals on Wheels. You get more than what you’re giving.”
Seniors First delivers up to 1,100 meals daily in Orange County, relying on about 350 volunteers to make it happen.
Interested in volunteering? Click here.