By the late 1970s, Meals on Wheels in Peterborough was no longer a fragile experiment—but it was not yet a stable institution. The service was growing, demand for meals continued to rise, and with that growth came decisions that felt risky in real time.
In 1978, longtime volunteer leader Sharon Haller, who served as both Co-Chair of the Board and coordinator for Meals on Wheels, announced her resignation as she prepared to move away from Peterborough. For a program that had narrowly survived mounting pressures just a few years earlier, the loss of a central leader could have been destabilizing. Instead, it became a turning point.
Recognizing that volunteer effort alone could no longer sustain the program, Meals on Wheels took a decisive step forward: the hiring of Bernice Clark as its first paid staff Co-ordinator. This shift was supported by the Senior Citizens Council, which pledged financial backing and agreed to act as an umbrella organization—an important vote of confidence at a critical moment.
The pressures were real. Rising costs for meals and packaging prompted difficult discussions about increasing the price of a meal. Ultimately, the fee was raised from fifty cents to seventy-five cents, a change that met little public resistance and quietly affirmed the community’s trust in the service.
At the same time, finances were tight. A Treasurer’s report warned that bank balances could be depleted by year’s end, with the program operating at a monthly deficit. A direct mail appeal was launched—and it worked. Within weeks, donors stepped forward, and their generosity was celebrated at the annual volunteer thank-you luncheon.
Looking back, these moments reveal a truth that still holds today: growth often feels uncertain when it’s happening. But with courage, community support, and a willingness to adapt, Meals on Wheels continued not just to survive—but to become something stronger.
