By Loretta Fulton

Meals on Wheels Plus employees and volunteers got good news and sad news this week.

The good news is that Betty Bradley, executive director, was honored with the 2026 Sister Alice Marie Quinn Award from Meals on Wheels America. 

The sad news is that Bradley, who was named Meals on Wheels first executive director in 1975 after two years of delivering meals as a volunteer, announced her retirement effective in June 2027.

Betty Bradley

“The board of directors asked for a 12-month notice,” she said. “They want time to find the right person and then about three months of training.”

Bradley received the award during the 52nd Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. More than 800 senior nutrition leaders, aging experts, and national partners were in attendance. 

“I am deeply humbled to receive an award named for someone I admired so much,” Bradley said. “This recognition belongs to every volunteer, donor, board member, and staff member who has been part of Meals on Wheels Plus over the past 51 years. They are the ones who showed up every day and made this program what it is.”

Sister Alice Marie Quinn, D.C., was the founder and executive director of St. Vincent Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles and a former Meals on Wheels America board chair. She died in June of 2017, according to a news release from Meals on Wheels America. She was named “Woman of the Year” in 1988 by the state of California, among other accolades. The award was established in 2018. 

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Ablene