Memorial Gift Brings Nearly 700 Meals on Wheels Recipients a Sweet Surprise
A $4,000 gift honoring Baljit Puri brings banana cream pies, tumblers and a personal touch to older adults receiving home-delivered meals.
PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured L-R: Karen Hintz, Moninder Puri-Schlotter, Damyant Puri, and Mondeep Puri pose delivering nearly 700 meals as part of the Meals on Wheels program OLEAN - A memorial gift is often a way to keep someone’s memory close. For Damyant Puri and her family, it became a way to share that memory with people throughout the community.
Puri made a $4,000 gift to the Meals on Wheels/Friends of Aging Fund of Cattaraugus County at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation in memory of her husband, Baljit. Rather than simply making a contribution, she chose to turn the gift into something tangible that recipients could enjoy. The donation was used to purchase banana cream pies and tumblers for participants in Cattaraugus County’s Home Delivered Meals program. The items were delivered alongside regular meals, giving recipients an unexpected treat and a thoughtful gesture.
For the Puri family, the gesture was about more than pie or a new tumbler - it was a way to honor Baljit by extending kindness to others.
Baljit Puri passed away in July 2025, leaving behind a life filled with family, adventure, and accomplishment. A longtime Allegany resident and engineer at Dresser-Rand, Baljit traveled to 99 countries, visited both the North and South Poles, and was known for his curiosity and love of exploring the world with his wife, Damyant.
Family members took part in delivering the items and meals, helping make the gift a personal experience. Each meal was accompanied by information explaining that the gift had been made in Baljit’s memory. There is something particularly meaningful about a gift that travels directly into someone’s home.
The Home Delivered Meals program, operated through Cattaraugus County’s Department of Aging, provides nutritious meals to eligible individuals who may have difficulty preparing meals or accessing food independently. The deliveries provide an important source of nourishment, but they can also provide something less palpable - a familiar face at the door, a brief conversation and a connection to the community. For people who rely solely on home-delivered meals, those moments can matter.
“This was such a thoughtful, meaningful gift,” said Bonnie Saunders, Cattaraugus County Dept. of the Aging and Youth Services director. “It was a beautiful way for Damyant to honor her husband’s memory while bringing comfort, enjoyment and a personal touch to older adults in the community. We are incredibly grateful for her thoughtfulness and generosity.”
Memorial gifts are one way families can continue someone’s story after they are gone. In Baljit’s memory, the Puri family chose to extend that story through an act of generosity - sharing a little sweetness, a useful gift, and a reminder that someone in the community is thinking of them. Sometimes, the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference.
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, healthcare, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call 716-301-CRCF (2723), email foundation@cattfoundation.org, or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).