APD joining forces with Meals On Wheels

By Erin Jones, KVUE
Original article HERE

When an officer knocks on your door it’s normally not good, but now the Austin Police Department is trying to change that by showing up at people’s homes to help them through their partnership with Meals on Wheels.

When Cpl. Chris Cato showed up at Ferlie Mackey’s door she said she wondered if she was in trouble.

“I thought ‘oh what did I do wrong?'” she said. “I don’t walk that well, so I couldn’t do too much wrong.”

It’s a thought process Cpl. Cato is trying to change.

“People focus on the negative, the arresting and things like that stuff,” Cpl. Cato said. “They don’t focus on the community efforts that we do.”

He stresses The Austin Police Department has more than a dozen community impact programs.  From Coffee With A Cop to Seniors and Law Enforcement and Cpl. Cato’s responsibility, Meals on Wheels.

“Right now I have nine officer volunteers,” he said.

Every week his crew makes their way across Austin, delivering meals to people like Mackey.

“It keeps them more grounded with the other people in the community,” Cpl. Cato said. “Not just the criminals that we have to deal with all the time.”

“It’s good to see that they’re out in the community helping those that really need help,” Mackey said.

Mackey said that two and a half years ago she had a stroke.

“I was living with my daughter,” she said.  “She would fix breakfast and dinner, but had to work through lunch.”

Looking for options, Mackey came across Meals on Wheels which she says has been a God-send.

“It means a lot,” Mackey said. “Seeing the officer was a pleasant surprise.”

A surprise Cpl. Cato said he wants to give to many more people like Mackey.

In the future, he plans to expand his Meals on Wheels program.  He’s hoping to add at least ten more officers to his routes in the coming months.