HOUSTON—As autumn blends into winter, 81-year-old Estella Aguilar finds her life paralleling the seasons.
"I just keep on going. I clean my house every day and play with the cats a little while," said Aguilar.
She and her husband Joe shared a home on Houston’s east side for 31 years. Since his passing in 1985, she’s been alone.
"I don’t get lonely, not with the cats around," said Aguilar.
She may not get lonely, but with nothing to live on but Social Security, it’s not always easy to get by.
Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston’s Meals on Wheels program helps ease the burden. But not so long ago, volunteers started noticing a disturbing trend.
"We found a lot of our Meals on Wheels seniors were sharing their food with their food with their pets," says Andrea Fineman of Interfaith Ministries. "A lot of times these seniors live by themselves. They don’t have family nearby, and these pets are their companions."
And so began Animeals on Wheels. Interfaith Ministries launched the program three years ago. Now, in addition to serving humans daily, they deliver 5,000 pounds of food to 750 pets each month. It’s made possible by donations through places like the Houston SPCA and CenterPoint Energy. Both are in the middle of pet food drives. It’s a charitable reaction to the realization that some seniors have no choice but to share their meals with their pets.
"I had no idea that was going on until I found out about this program," said Heather Dunagin, who is spearheading the effort for CenterPoint. "I thought it was such a great idea, and I could bring it back to the company."
And ultimately help bring it to Estella Aguilar’s front door.
Unopened cans and bags of pet food are being accepted at the Houston SPCA through December 9. They can also be dropped off in the lobby of CenterPoint’s downtown office through December 15.
