Stephanie Archer Smith

"From a very early age, I knew I was destined to service. It was part of the fabric of my family. We were an extended Italian family that included cousins, friends and neighbors who supported each other through the ups and downs of daily life. Food was often at the center of it all, so it would come as no surprise, that my service career has been focused on food – food as the most basic of human needs, food as a source of comfort and security, food as medicine for the body and the soul. Growing up, both of my parents worked during a time when it was not common for your mother to work outside the home. I spent long afternoons with my cousins and siblings at my grandmother‘s home, at first watching and learning as she cooked for everyone, but later, cooking for her when she could no longer do so for herself. As she grew older, it was Meals on Wheels who ensured she had a hot meal before we arrived from school. Being able to walk to at my grandmother’s house after school is one of my cherished childhood memories. I never felt alone and neither did she. It was a place of comfort and celebration, over food of course, and a source of inspiration. If my work at Meals on Wheels helps do that for just one family, then it is a job well done. If my grandmother were still here, it would come as no surprise to her that I spent my adult life dedicated to service, particularly at Meals on Wheels. Afterall, we are but the sum of our experiences. "