Call 410-822-2869 before the cupboard is empty. Upper Shore Aging's Meals on Wheels program delivers to homebound seniors in Talbot County, and that number is the front door to the route.

The agency is the Area Agency on Aging for Talbot, Caroline, and Kent and says it serves more than 31,000 seniors across the three counties. Congregate and grab-and-go meals at Brookletts Place are the version you drive to. Meals on Wheels is the version that shows up when you cannot.

This is not a brochure line. It is how many people in this county stay out of a hospital bed. If a neighbor has stopped going to the store, the number is the story. Volunteers are the other half of the work; the agency will say how to get on a route.

Eligibility is ordinary: homebound, older, and in the service area. Make the call early.