Elmore & Doris Pillsbury

Elmore and Doris Pillsbury have delivered Meals on Wheels each Friday for 26 years to seniors in Acton, MA. In that time, they have delivered 16,000 meals and seen the program grow from a few deliveries a week to its current two-route, five days a week, 52 weeks a year schedule.

Doris and Elmore are reliable and cheerful, bringing not just meals alone, but also their upbeat observations of life told with humor and grace. As Minuteman’s representatives, they also provide an important and even life-saving safety check by monitoring senior’s health and wellness.

Doris and Elmore nourish seniors physically, emotionally and psychologically. They provide a supportive service that allows their clients to keep living in familiar surroundings rather than in expensive institutional settings. In addition to their service to Minuteman, they are regulars at the Acton Council on Aging, and are very active with the Acton Congregational Church, especially with the Good Shepard Network and the church newsletter.

Recently, the Senior Dining Site presented them with a Bronze Presidential Award for 100-249 hours of service in 2007, as well as a Certificate of Recognition for 25 years as Meals on Wheels drivers. Their visits help seniors stay connected to the larger community and to the agency. Over many years, they know which seniors wait by the door for their arrival, and others who must stay seated.