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Caregivers worry about senior citizens during power shutoff

Meals on Wheels provides food for seniors in Ben Lomond, every day, but on Thursday, lunch happened in the dark.

“All of the sudden, it went flip. There goes my TV. There goes the power,” said Boulder Creek resident, Garrett Wallace.

For many, Thursday’s lunch will be their only hot meal as they wait for power to turn back on.

Ben Lomond resident, Joyce Spencer, said she woke up to frigid temperatures without a working heater. “My house is very cold. Waking up wasn’t bad because I was still in bed, but once I got up it was a horse of a different color,” said Spencer.

Many of the seniors that receive services from Meals on Wheels live in areas most affected by PG&E’s planned power shutoff. This includes communities like Felton, Boulder Creek, and Ben Lomond. “I think it’s very important. A lot of our folks live out where it’s very wooded,” said Meals on Wheels Assistant Program Manager, Carol Childers.

Childers said until the power comes back on, volunteers will keep a close eye on their senior citizens that live alone. They want to make sure they have access to necessities like battery powered lights, water, and non-perishable food.

“It is really inviting to come down and speak to people and not sit at home in four walls. It’s good to be comforted by a lot of people that you’ve known for years and years,” said Wallace.

The seniors shared their thoughts on the planned shutoff, but ultimately felt the decision could end up doing more harm than good. “For them to not look at it in more of a realistic way and maybe not turn the power off like they did. They have these people all out of commission with their normalcy at their homes and what they do on a daily basis. It’s not healthy. It’s not human kindness coming from them,” said Wallace.

KION 2019

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