PHYLLIS SHERMAN, Gibson Center for Senior Services

It’s not unusual for Meals on Wheels volunteer driver Phyllis Sherman to drive as many as 70 miles on some of her routes.  “There’s some winding roads, some hills and not all of the roads as paved,” she says.  “On some days, my car gets quite a work-out.”

Phyllis, 85, has lived and worked on her family farm for 58 years, along with some of her children and grandchildren.  In addition to raising animals and growing produce, the family operates the Sherman Corn Maze each fall which draws people from across the Northeast.

A volunteer for the past 10 years, she says “I love meeting and talking to people.  Some people are lonely, so I know it means a lot to them when we talk.  It’s sometimes a short conversation, but very meaningful.”

Beyond her volunteer service, Phyllis and her family provide large donations of vegetables from her farm each year to MOWs, which home cooks the food for delivery. In her free time, she enjoys travel with her daughter, last fall they went on a river cruise in Europe.

“This is a great community and I enjoy volunteering and helping out the Gibson Center-it’s a wonderful resource,” says Phyllis.  “It’s nice getting to know people and hear about their families.”