For many homebound seniors, the likelihood of becoming isolated from their natural social structures like family and friends is very high. When you add in the effects of a global pandemic, the risk of facing those challenges jumps exponentially.
This spring, in collaboration with TimeSlips Creative Storytelling and the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Division on Aging, Goodwill took part in the Beautiful Questions project which was created to connect with older adults who may have limited interactions with others. Drivers for Goodwill’s meal delivery program distributed Beautiful Questions postcards as part of their daily routes. The postcards asked seniors to respond to open-ended questions about their surroundings and local artists used the responses to create a dance, video and audio collage.
“Participating in the Beautiful Questions project has added an artistic spin to our program operations,” said Tom Gossett, manager community services. “It provided a unique opportunity for our drivers to engage with participants in a meaningful way during a tough time and encouraged the participants to think beyond the walls of their home, connecting with their creative selves and the community they live in.”
Goodwill’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers approximately 1,400 nutritious meals a day and performs wellness checks at each stop, is a high impact program for homebound older adults providing them independence. Drivers reach many communities in the area, operating routes across Milwaukee County. As an essential service, the home delivered meal program continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic making it an exceptional resource for the Beautiful Questions project.
