A New Way to Reach Our Neighbors: Real Life Center Home Delivery Program

For years, RLC's Market has served families who are able to come to us. But some of our clients simply cannot. Illness, mobility limitations, and lack of transportation can make even a short trip to the Market impossible.

That is why we launched Real Life Center Home Delivery, a new program that brings food directly to clients who cannot visit us in person. We began with a May pilot, delivering once a week to clients whose health concerns or transportation barriers kept them from getting to the Market.

After that first month, we paused briefly to refine the program based on what we learned, then officially relaunched in June. Since we began this program in May, we have served six households, representing 16 individuals- parents, grandparents, and children- who received food they could not otherwise have gotten. We are now ready to share this program with our community and invite you to be part of what comes next.

One woman we deliver to lives alone and is facing a serious illness. For her, the deliveries have meant more than food. They have meant human connection, a friendly face, and a few minutes of conversation on days that might otherwise pass in isolation.

Another family includes a husband battling a terminal illness and his wife, who serves as his full-time caregiver while also raising their son, who has autism. She is unable to work outside the home, and the weekly deliveries have eased another burden during an already difficult season.

Not every need is long-term. One mother of several children relies on a golf cart for transportation. When it broke down and needed repairs, Real Life Center Home Delivery stepped in to bridge the gap until she could return to the Market on her own, which she was glad to do once her golf cart was running again.

"This program is not meant for long-term provision," said Jennifer Nolder, who directs the Real Life Center Home Delivery program. "It is really for meeting that need right where our clients are, whether that is an illness, a lack of transportation, or something temporary. We want to ease the burden in other areas so families can get back on their feet."

Going into that first month, Linda and Roger didn't know what to expect. Would they be welcomed? Would the homes they visited feel safe? Every uncertainty gave way to something unexpected."

"Everyone that we saw was very open, very appreciative," Linda said. "They were very thankful."

One woman asked the couple to come inside and sit with her, even pray with her. At the time, RLC's policy did not allow volunteers to enter clients' homes, so Linda and Roger could not stay. "It broke our hearts," Linda said.

That moment led to real change. When the program resumed with revisions in June, RLC updated its policy to allow volunteers to enter homes when appropriate. Just last week, volunteers Melanie and George spent nearly an hour with one of the clients they deliver to, simply talking and enjoying her company.

Cecilia and Jackie have also been steady, faithful volunteers throughout the pilot and now the fully operational program. Jackie has quietly shown up for delivery after delivery, one of the steady hands getting food out to our homebound clients. Cecilia has shown that same steady commitment, and after the pilot concluded, she shared what the experience meant to her: "I am thankful that you all got this up and running. It is definitely a huge need in our communities."

For Linda, the connections made during those early deliveries didn't end when the pilot did. She has continued building relationships beyond her official deliveries, checking in on one client simply because, in her words, "she just melts my heart."

Real Life Center Home Delivery is just getting started. We hope to grow this program, reach more homebound neighbors, and build partnerships with local churches and senior service organizations to identify families who need this kind of support.

We believe every family deserves to be seen, valued, and cared for, no matter what stands between them and our door. Real Life Center Home Delivery is one more way RLC lives out the belief that God's love shows up in ordinary acts of faithfulness: a knock on the door, a bag of groceries, a few minutes of conversation.