To commemorate Veteran’s Day, Meals on Wheels and the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services delivered a meal to William Strand, a nonagenarian Navy veteran living in Pawtuxet.

The visit to Strand’s home- which was conducted by multiple Meals on Wheels members, as well as the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services- occurred on Wednesday morning in place of his usual delivery from Fran, the delivery driver along his route.

“When one serves, we all serve, and I always take the opportunity to thank those that served,” Kasim Yarn, the director of the Office of Veterans Services, said. “Everyone’s service matters.”

Waiting on his front porch for the Meals on Wheels delivery has become a routine for Strand, who was taken by surprise at the size of the crowd that turned out.

Strand has been receiving service from Meals on Wheels since October of 2020. He said he doesn’t have a favorite meal, and looks forward to all of them. On Wednesday, the meal consisted  of macaroni and cheese, winter vegetables, wheat bread and an orange.

“We receive a grant from the Office of Veterans Affairs that supports the home delivery program,” Meghan Grady, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels, explained. “And that goes back to veterans like Bill.”

A native of Pennsylvania, Strand moved to Rhode Island while serving after two years stationed in South Carolina. While in the service at Quonset he eventually moved to Warwick and  meet his wife Patricia, who passed away ten years ago,.

Yarn, originally from Mississippi, remarked their journeys bringing them to New England were similar, and a feature of life for many military members.

In his retirement, Strand picked up art as a hobby, taking classes at the Pilgrim Senior Center. His Pawtuxet house is filled with his own artwork. Prominently placed above the piano in his living room is a painting of Conimicut Point viewed from the parking lot.

“My wife and I used to go down there and park right in that spot facing the lighthouse,” Strand said. “And we would have a coffee or a donut or a hamburger. We spent quite some time sitting there.”

Strand’s art has also been prominently featured in places such as the 2017 Pocket Manual, a guide to services for seniors in Rhode Island.

Strand was also an honored guest at Meals on Wheels’ Festival of Meals, held Saturday at the Roger Williams Park Casino in Providence.

According to Grady, Strand and other veterans, as well as the spouses of veterans, make up approximately 22 percent of Meals on Wheels’ clients.