When Larry talks about his wife, Mary Barbara, his voice softens. The two were married for 54 years after meeting at his best friend’s wedding. 

“My jaw hit the floor when I first saw her,” he says with a smile. “She was my soulmate.” 

Together they raised two daughters and built a life through hard work and perseverance. When Mary Barbara passed away, Larry lost more than his wife. He lost the person with whom he had built a family, a home, and a future. 

For most of his life, Larry was the person others depended on. When his father became ill, Larry left school in the eighth grade to help support his family. What could have been a setback became the beginning of a remarkable career. Larry went on to spend 46 years as a nuclear welder. His skills were in high demand, taking him to all 50 states as he worked on specialized projects across the country. 

“I was a sharp cookie,” Larry says. 

Today, at 77, life looks very different. In recent years, a series of health challenges have made everyday tasks more difficult. Larry lives with chronic pain, vertigo, significant hearing loss, and mobility limitations. He has undergone multiple surgeries, including a knee replacement and spinal fusion, and suffered a stroke that affected his memory. 

Preparing meals became especially challenging. Standing for long periods was painful, and his mobility limitations made cooking difficult. At one point, Larry was surviving largely on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

“I was eating peanut butter and jelly three times a day,” he recalls. “I was losing so much weight.” 

Like many older adults living on a fixed income, Larry found that rising costs were making it harder to maintain the stability he had worked so hard to achieve. Home repairs piled up, and maintaining his property became increasingly difficult. Without nearby family support, even routine tasks became overwhelming. 

Looking for help, Larry turned to Southern Maine Agency on Aging. What began with Meals on Wheels soon connected Larry to benefits counseling, housing assistance, and other services that help him remain independent at home. 

Today, Larry receives Meals on Wheels each week. 

“It’s unbelievable to have meals delivered to my home,” he says. “The meals are so much better and more nutritious than what I was eating before. I now have seven different meals a week.” 

Just as important as the food is the connection. Larry has built a meaningful relationship with his Meals on Wheels driver and looks forward to each visit. Those regular visits provide reassurance that someone is checking in and that he is not facing every challenge alone. Like many Meals on Wheels participants, Larry values the companionship as much as the meals themselves. 

As Larry’s needs grew, Resource Specialist Melissa helped him navigate a growing list of challenges. Together, they applied for heating assistance, SNAP benefits, and other resources that could help ease financial strain and support his independence. Through a community partnership, Melissa also helped Larry apply for a walker to address his mobility challenges and improve his safety at home. 

Larry still remembers walking into Southern Maine Agency on Aging looking for help. 

“I walked in and asked if someone could help me,” he says. “It was just unbelievable how they started right in on assisting me.” 

Finding stable and affordable housing has been one of Larry’s biggest challenges. To date, Melissa has helped Larry complete multiple housing applications as they continue searching for an affordable option that will allow him to remain in the community he calls home. 

“I want to stay in York County. I was born here. This is my home,” Larry says. 

The support may seem simple on paper: meals, benefits assistance, housing applications, and regular check-ins. But for Larry, each service helps remove one more obstacle and makes it possible to focus on living rather than simply getting through the day. 

“I can’t believe all that Southern Maine Agency on Aging is doing for me,” Larry says. “Melissa has helped me tremendously. I feel like I know when I need help, they’ll be there for me.” 

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