Staff

Brenda Burns

Executive Director

In a career that has now spanned more than 30 years, Brenda Burns has pretty much seen it all and done it all at Sullivan County Nutrition Services, part of the Newport Senior Center. “From working in the kitchen to operational support to enrollment and outreach to delivering meals, I’ve had a lot of jobs here,” she said. “And I’ve enjoyed all of them.” Now as Executive Director of Sullivan County Nutrition Services, Burns and her team of staff and volunteers support more than 500 clients each week between home delivery, congregate meals and the Grab-N-Go program where clients can stop by and pick up meals which can be heated up at home. Housed out of the Newport Senior Center, the program also connects older adults to transportation, exercise programs and a host of other supports. She shared that some older adults on limited incomes are often forced to make choices between food or medication or keeping the power on. Burns calls that dilemma “heart-breaking” and she and her team work to connect those in need to other services and supports as needed, like Service Link. The greater Newport community is “caring and closeknit” she says. “Our board is a great example of that. They’ve stepped up to support ‘grab and go’ and delivered meals as well. They are also impactful fund raisers.” While the work is not without challenges, there’s no place Burns would rather be. “How we treat older adults in need says a lot about our community. We work very hard to ensure that people don’t have to wait long to come onto the program.”“There are people in the community who need help and that’s why we’re here,” said Burns. “Some need more help than others. We want to serve as a resource for people to stay in their homes as long as possible.”

CJ Bailey

Elder Support Supervisor

If one is a client at Sullivan County Nutrition Services, odds are you will have met CJ either in person or over the phone. “This is a great job,” she says. “Sometimes when I get calls from clients or family members, there’s some stress, fear, and worry. Once we can get someone enrolled and set up for meal deliveries, that pressure goes away. To be able to play a part in that is gratifying.” As she is plugged into other programs and services across the community, she also can connect those in need with other resources. When she talks to new or prospective clients and family members, people tell CJ that they didn’t know Meals on Wheels existed or didn’t think they qualified. “Sometimes we’re the best kept secret in town, so we tell everyone we meet to spread the word.” She added that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased social isolation among older adults. “Sullivan county is fairly remote,” she says. “Some people were a little cut off prior to COVID and it only gotten worse. That is one reason why this work is so critical.” CJ has been with the organization for over 5 years and says “I love our clients and enjoy hearing their stories. I know being that voice on the other end of the phone means a lot to them, so I make every call count.”

Beverly LaClair

Food Services Supervisor

At the heart of the Meals On Wheels Program is a dedicated -and early rising- group of staff whipping up hundreds of hot meals for clients five days a week. Leading the kitchen crew is Beverly LaClair, who has worked at the Center for over 27 years. “We provide a critical service,” she says. “We know our clients look forward to their meals delivered each day.”

Over her career, it is safe to say that Beverly has done pretty much every job-from leadership-to administration-to working in the kitchen - at the center and her enthusiasm is obvious. “We have a great team and it’s a great atmosphere. Our day starts around 6:00 AM each morning and we always have the meals ready for the driver routes,” she says.

Beverly’s connection with Meals on Wheels began even before she started working. “My mother was a client of Meals on Wheels,” she said. “So, I got a first-hand view of how important those deliveries were.”

Because of her long experience with Meals on Wheels, Beverly knows it’s not just the food that is important to the clients, it’s also that vital daily check-in. “We know the clients are counting on us and for some, the delivery driver is the only person they’ll see some days.”

“We know we’re making an impact in people’s lives and that’s a great feeling.”