Neighbors Helping Neighbors: From Vision Loss to Renewed Confidence

Robert Holguin is a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served for 20 years before starting his career as a radar repairman.

As a father of three, grandfather of ten, and great-grandfather of twelve, Robert is grateful for the love and support of his large family, including his son, Robert Holguin, Jr., with whom he talks daily on the phone.

His family members are his caregivers, grocery shoppers and primary support system — something he needs now more than ever.

Health Challenges

Two years ago, around the time Robert Sr. began receiving Meals on Wheels, he went blind. Despite the intervention of doctors and a surgeon, glaucoma slowly dimmed his vision.

Losing his eyesight changed Robert Sr.’s life forever. He lost his independence, including his ability to cook anything beyond reheating high-sodium microwave meals.

“I can’t do anything by myself anymore,” says Robert Sr., who requires a walker to stay mobile. “I can’t go out anywhere. I live here by myself. I can do that because I know where everything is around here.”

Robert Jr.’s growing concern about his father’s diminished mobility, isolation, dangerously high blood pressure and the family’s busy schedules that often left Robert Sr. waiting and alone, inspired him to make the call to Meals on Wheels San Antonio.

“It happened fast once we started,” Robert Jr. says. “It’s great, and we’re grateful for it.”

Robert Jr., limited by his health challenges, calls the service a “godsend.”

“I’m battling cancer, and sometimes I don’t have the energy to come over,” Robert Jr. says. “But I know he’s taken care of because of Meals on Wheels.”

Restoring Confidence Through Daily Meals and Connection

Much of Robert Jr.’s relief comes from witnessing the meals’ transformative impact on his father’s blood pressure, which previously required three daily pills to regulate. Now, he’s down to one.

“After a few months, I started feeling better,” Robert Sr. says. “I checked my blood pressure every day, and everything was going down steadily.”

At one point, a brief pause in service highlighted how critical the meals have become to Robert Sr.’s health and well-being.

“His blood pressure was going up again, but when he got back on Meals on Wheels, his blood pressure came back down again,” Robert Jr. remembers.

Robert Jr. no longer worries about the strain on his father’s heart caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure or their loss of connection. He has even noticed an increase in his father’s happiness.

“When I call him, he’s always in a good mood now,” Robert Jr. says. “[Meals on Wheels] gives seniors confidence, knowing that they’re going to have a meal every day and have somebody to talk to, if just for a few minutes, and then it helps them with their health.”

Neighbors Helping Neighbors in San Antonio

Robert Jr. is thankful that he and his father live in a supportive community filled with people willing to step up and assist those in need in ways that go above and beyond, such as Meals on Wheels helping to hire a contractor to build a ramp outside his father’s home.

The ramp has made Robert Sr. even more confident and active. Now, he can safely walk alone to the end of the driveway and back.

“Neighbors helping neighbors, that’s San Antonio,” Robert Jr. says. “Meals on Wheels is a big part of it. It is something we can’t lose. We’ve got to keep having more and more people on it.”