As we approach Mothers Days, I want to share a figure with you: More than 66% of meal recipients served by Meals on Wheels Chicago are women.  Many of these women will spend Mother’s Day alone.

These mothers will not receive a card, flowers, or candy.  They will not get a call or a visit.  Many of them will feel the sting of loneliness that accompanies spending a holiday alone.

Earlier this month, I spent several days with my mother in Philadelphia.  With two daughters in high school and all that entails, I can’t see her as often as I would like.  Just sitting on her couch overlooking the Delaware River, we gulp presence, catching up on all the things that happened since we last saw each other.

My mother told me she once delivered for Meals on Wheels years ago. I have no memory of her doing so, but clearly it left an impression on her.  “Sure, they appreciated the meals,” she said.  “They needed them. But it was more than the meal they appreciated. It was the fact I cared enough to take time to visit with them. When it was time to leave, they held on to the hug as long as I would let them.  Most of them would watch me from the window, waving as I drove off.”

As you visit, call, or remember your mother this Mother’s Day, I hope you will consider the mothers we serve who will be alone on Mothers Day.  Please consider making a donation in her honor by supporting someone who has no one to visit her.