Cindy Faris moves through Pilot Point with a warm smile and a kind word for everyone she meets.
As the site manager for the local Meals on Wheels program, she delivers more than just food.
'Cindy Faris is a pillar of the Pilot Point community,” Pilot Point Chamber of Comerce President Jimerson Adkins said. “While her work with SPAN/Meals on Wheels is invaluable, her dedication extends far beyond that.”
Faris was named the Chamber’s 2024 Distinguished Citizen of the Year. Under her leadership, SPAN/Meals on Wheels was also honored as the Nonprofit of the Year.
In the program, Faris ensures that eligible area residents receive not only nourishing meals but also the human connection that can often be lacking in their lives.
Adkins is among the many in the community who consider Faris their “adopted momma.”
“She is always volunteering, participating and contributing to initiatives that bring people together,” Adkins said. “With a heart full of love, she generously shares her kindness and support with everyone she meets.'
Meals on Wheels in Pilot Point provides two essential services. The first is home-delivered meals for those unable to leave their houses.
'We started serving on July 11 of 2022, and we've been serving those home-delivered meals since then,” Faris said. “We serve five meals a week, Monday through Friday. Usually it's a hot meal, but once every couple of weeks they'll have a cold meal.”
The second service is the opportunity for congregate meals at the senior center, which are also available five days a week. This service has been available since October 2023.
“They get some socialization, and that's a very important feature,” Faris said. “I think people who are at home are usually lonely, so just having somebody come with a cheerful ‘Hi, how are you today?’ can brighten up their day.”
Meals on Wheels clients must be at least 60 to qualify for free congregate meals or home delivery. The branch of the program that Faris oversees serves Pilot Point, Aubrey, Krugerville and parts of Cross Roads.
Faris has accepted an expansion opportunity to include the subdivisions of Savannah, Paloma Creek and Providence Village.
The program has also extended to delivering pet food once a month for clients with animals at home.
“Pets are often an important part of their lives, so I think it's a very important thing that we have that outreach for them,” Faris said.
On top of delivering food, Faris takes extra steps to lift the spirits of her clients. For example, volunteers often send handmade greeting cards with deliveries on holidays.
'When I go out to their homes, I see the cards sitting on their windowsill or on a dresser or table, so that means a lot to me,” Faris said. “It means a lot to the drivers, but it also means a lot to the two ladies who make these cards. For me, it just shows how important it is that they keep them and they have them sitting there so that they're reminded that somebody does care about them.”
Faris’ work often creates connections that don’t fade, showing up in meaningful ways down the road.
“I received a text message from a woman that had been on Meals on Wheels with her partner of 50 years but whom I had not spoken to or seen for over one year,” Faris said. “She updated me with the message that said she was moving because her daughter had died in April and her partner in June. She thanked me for everything I had done for them. To have someone reach out after a year of not using the service of Meals on Wheels meant so much to me. To be remembered for a small kindness in the midst of the grief she must be going through is humbling. You often do not know how you touch other people. I'm so thankful that she let me know.”
The impact of Meals on Wheels is just as meaningful to Faris as it is to those she serves.
“People think that other people are being blessed, but believe me, I'm more blessed by what happens with these people than anyone realizes,” Faris said. “I love them, and I believe they love me. I tell my customers when I see them or talk to them that I love them, and they tell me ‘I love you’ also and how blessed they are. Well, I'm the one who's blessed by being able to serve them. It's just so worthwhile.”
