COLDSPRING – Frank Aultman delivers more than meals to home bound residents in the area. Many times he is the only person the resident will see during the day and it makes him feel good to brighten their day.
Aultman is the volunteer deliveryman for the San Jacinto County Senior Citizen’s Center in Coldspring. Daily he delivers 60-70 hot meals to county residents in the Coldspring, Evergreen and Point Blank areas who are not physically able to attend the senior citizen’s center for lunch.
Aultman loads up the “Meals on Wheels” van with warm food at the Coldspring center and leaves around 9:30 a.m. for his daily trip. He usually returns around 2 p.m.
Telling other senior citizens about his daily routine recently, Aultman said, one goes through life never knowing what the future may bring and it takes its toll as the years go by and you wonder if there is going to be someone there for you.
“A lot of people I see during the day don’t have family members to help them or a way to get to stores,” Aultman said. “A lot of time I am the only person they will see during the day and it makes you feel good to brighten their day.”
On several occasions, Aultman said he has found homebound residents very ill and had to call 911.
“One was found in a diabetic coma, another was found in bed ready to go,” Aultman said.
But the rewards of his volunteer work are many he said.
“You laugh, talk, joke and get to know some wonderful people. Everyday is very different. It’s not a matter of taking meals and leaving. You spend time with them and get to know them,” Aultman said
“Each person is different. It’s a very rewarding job,” he added.
Thanking Aultman for his work, Coldspring Senior Citizen Center Director Carolyn Shipp said, “It takes a special person to work on a route like this. People call and tell me how nice and helpful he (Aultman) is and how much they appreciate him.”