The driver could tell something was off.

While delivering a hot meal to an elderly woman – one of 320 Tompkins County residents who receive a daily meal and safety check from Foodnet Meals on Wheels – he noticed she seemed different, not her usual chipper, chatty self.

Foodnet staff contacted the client’s daughter, who said her mother had recently had a change in her medication. No one but the driver had noticed the new side effects.

“Meals on Wheels is more than a meal,” said Aly Evans, CEO of the United Way of Tompkins County and former CEO of Foodnet. “The drivers are sometimes the only people who see a client every day. Just by caring, they helped the family notice something about their loved one.”

Credit: Centralus Health/Provided

Foodnet is one of 60 agencies supported by Cornell United Way, now in its 105th year. The Cornell United Way, which supports the United Way of Tompkins County, is seeking to raise $575,000 during its annual campaign Nov. 2-24.

Cornellians can help strengthen nonprofits like Foodnet by making a tax-deductible donation online– including the option of a payroll deduction – or by check.

Even small amounts can make a difference. A gift of $1 per paycheck buys five days of Meals on Wheels for one person, or two round trips of transportation from a rural home to a pediatrician’s office for a mother and baby. A donation of $2 per paycheck provides a night of shelter for a fire victim or respite care for 14 to 18 children.

Donors can choose which organizations or causes they’d like to support, said Brandon Fortenberry, chair for the Cornell United Way campaign and senior training and development manager for Cornell Dining. They can also divide their donations among several organizations.

Fortenberry designates 25% of his contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca. “As a kid, I had a Big Brother. It was a huge impact in my life,” he said. “I grew up in a home with a single mom, and having that person in my life that I could connect with, who wasn’t my mom, having a male figure in my life, was really important for me.”

This year, the campaign is hoping to increase participation by asking people who have given, now or in the past, to help spread the word. After donating, they’ll get an email that they can send to office mates, colleagues and friends in the Cornell community.

“We’d love to see more of our community giving, and that doesn’t necessarily mean at the $1,000 level,” Fortenberry said. “With this grassroots communication strategy, people may be more willing to say, ‘Hey, I see you gave, and I can do that. I can throw in 20 bucks.’ Really, giving at any level has an impact.”

As the cost of food, fuel and utilities continues to rise, all nonprofit agencies could use an extra hand, Evans said. “Now is the time, because the need is great. I know that we’ll meet this goal because we have a lot of caring people in our community.”

Foodnet is the only organization in Tompkins County that is focused on providing prepared meals to adults who are 60 years or older and unable to stand, shop or prepare food for themselves; they include people with memory issues and those who can’t hold utensils or cooking equipment due to medical or other conditions.

Foodnet also offers community dining, which serves about 75 people who gather for a weekly meal at three different sites in the county. The program combats social isolation, which can lead to depression, weight loss or gain, unhealthy eating and memory decline, Evans said.

“If everyone gave $20, we’d have millions,” Evans said. “We have organizations that work hard to serve the community on all levels of need. Those folks are being asked to do more with less, and now’s the time that we can support them. We can all help.”