Oakland Raiders
CB Nnamdi Asomugha and safety Stuart Schweigert deliver lunch to Andrew Hatch as part of the Meals on Wheels program.
Panos Pappas
It's not every day you get the chance to meet a 106-year-old senior and have very engaging conversation with him. Earlier this week, CB Nnamdi Asomugha and safety Stuart Schweigert volunteered with the Meals on Wheels program and delivered a meal to a gentleman who recognized the young Raiders with the blink of an eye.
Both players served him a nutritious lunch while chatting about football, life and the amazing experiences Andrew Hatch has collected.
Bay Area Community Services (BACS) promotes programs of adult day care, adult health care, affordable home care, care management, money management assistance and senior nutrition services through Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels provides meals to seniors 60 or older who live in Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont. The program has been in operation since 1974 and last year served over 195,000 meals. The BACS Center has a full-size kitchen where 1,100 meals are prepared each day for homebound seniors.
BACS' Director of Older Adult Services David Havsky and Development Director Mary Frizat emphasized the importance of having Asomugha and Schweigert as volunteers, because they are excellent role models for anyone who wants to become involved with the Meals on Wheels program. "We need drivers that are willing to do some delivery routes and we appreciate anybody that is in the position to donate any funds," said Havsky and Frizat. "The Meals on Wheels program has tremendous support from the county and the City of Oakland but there is more need than there is funding, so all contributions are welcome."
Asomugha and Schweigert stood in the pouring rain while loading the van with the meals. After a short drive in the middle of a cloudy morning in downtown Oakland, both players made the stop and delivered the food as promised. "It is a true blessing to be out here and help people that are homebound. This in an exhilarating experience and I hope we are able to get the word out that these people need help," said Asomugha. The fact that both players volunteered was excellent but it was more dignified that they didn't let the persistent rain dampen their spirits. Schweigert also commented on the weather conditions but stated that, "hopefully we can bring some sunshine to these people's faces."
These promising players prove that the younger generation doesn't forget the elderly easily. Both Asomugha and Schweigert enjoyed talking to seniors and listening to the real witnesses of past decades. Not only did they deliver meals but they also shared very special moments with seniors who were very grateful they came to visit with delicious food in their hands