Having cooked for restaurants throughout her life, Lisa is now grateful for the people who cook for her.

When she was a child, Lisa and her family were involved in a horrific train accident which left her with a permanent handicap and chronic pain. Later, as (bad) luck would have it, Lisa was also involved in a car accident in which she sustained additional severe injuries.

The cumulative effect was devastating. Physically, Lisa was unable to care for herself or do many of the things most of us take for granted.

Then a nurse told Lisa about Meals on Wheels. It was a moment that changed her life.

“I couldn’t walk,” said Lisa. “I couldn’t get myself down the stairs. I couldn’t get myself to the grocery store. [Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque] was the only way I could eat.”

Today, Lisa, who has a degree in culinary arts, can once again eat hot, nutritious meals at home. And she is tremendously grateful for the people who make it possible.

“The volunteers who delivered my meals were my saviors,” she said. “I wouldn’t have survived without them.”

Thanks to donors who participate in the Long Leash on Life pet program, Lisa also receives food for her cat, Miss Kitty—her only and constant companion. “Our community needs [Meals on Wheels],” she concludes. “People need sufficient nutrition.”