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2015 CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS DUE MAY 1!

Once again, the Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo is your opportunity to connect with hundreds of your senior nutrition colleagues, learn from the experts and reignite one of the greatest social solutions in America. To make it possible for more Member programs to join their colleagues this September in sunny Orlando, Meals on Wheels America is pleased to offer up to 100 needs-based scholarships of $750 each, thanks to funding from Subaru’s “Share the Love” event.

All you need to do for scholarship consideration is submit an application describing any hardships that have adversely impacted your program's available funding for continuing education this year. Applications must be submitted through our online grant management system (login required) no later than Friday, May 1. Scholarship recipients will be notified by Friday, May 22.

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Please note: Scholarship award recipients will be required to register and pay Conference registration fees by July 1, 2015. Reimbursement checks for the full amount of the scholarship award will be provided onsite at the Conference.

Learn more about the needs-based scholarship criteria here.

Full registration discounts for the 2015 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo are available to all who register before July 1, 2015, and additional discounts are applied when you attend with one or more of your colleagues or Board Members. To register, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/conference. 

NEW NEWSLETTER – WHEELS IN MOTION


We kicked off the new Meals on Wheels America monthly newsletter, Wheels in Motion, in March with the hope that you will find it a "must read," for you and we want to know your ideas on how we can accomplish that. Please provide us with your feedback, suggestions and input by emailing newsletter@mealsonwheelsamerica.org. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

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JOIN US FOR A CAN'T-MISS TOWN HALL ANNOUNCEMENT

Join Meals on Wheels America’s President and CEO Ellie Hollander for her sixth Virtual Town Hall Meeting as she shares a very special announcement with all of our Membership. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes for months to create an opportunity that will benefit all of our programs and the seniors you serve – and we can’t wait to share the big news!

While we don't want to spoil the surprise of the announcement, we do have a hint in the form of a question:

What do the following all have in common?

  • Smokey Bear
  • United Negro College Fund
  • First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Initiative
  • Vince and Larry's Crash-Test Dummies
  • McGruff the Crime Dog

Register to find out not only what they have in common, but what that has to do with Meals on Wheels and you on Wednesday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m. EDT!
REGISTER NOW

FIVE WAYS TO USE THE NEW NATIONAL AND STATE FACT SHEETS


The newly designed and updated Meals on Wheels national and state fact sheets are now available. These comprehensive resources are intended to shed light on not only the challenges of senior hunger, isolation and poverty, but to demonstrate how the tremendous value of Meals on Wheels and the Older Americans Act are, a critical part of the solution. Check out how you can use this invaluable information to better convey the challenges faced by seniors in your community.
 

Five ways to use the Meals on Wheels national and state fact sheets to convey the challenges faced by seniors in your community:

  1. Share your state's fact sheet with potential partners or funders to highlight the vital need.
  2. Send your state's fact sheet to the media when they’re looking to quantify the issues of senior hunger, isolation and poverty locally. By including the national fact sheet, they also can see how the needs of your state’s seniors compare to those of seniors nationally.
  3. Have your fact sheets on hand when special guests (like Members of Congress or their staff) make deliveries or volunteer with your program. Be sure to email an electronic copy in any follow-up communications or thank you notes.
  4. Alert your community partners of this resource so they, too, can refer to it when talking about their work to support you in combating senior hunger, isolation and poverty.
  5. Post the link to your state's fact sheet on social media to help educate your followers during Older American’s Month this May.


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Visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/factsheets to download the national fact sheet, and your state’s fact sheet to learn more about the sources and methods used to create them.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

LONELINESS IN SENIORS LEADS TO MORE DOCTOR'S OFFICE VISITS

Chronic loneliness in seniors has been proven, through a study conducted by the University of Georgia's College of Public Health, to lead to more doctor's office visits. By proving the connection between the frequency of doctor's visits and loneliness, the study was able to suggest that more socialization with seniors may significantly decrease their visits to doctor's offices and healthcare costs. We now have even further evidence to make the case for what we already know to be true: Meals on Wheels provides so much more than a meal for our seniors. Read the full article here.

FREE COMPREHENSIVE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT GUIDEBOOK

The Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) and the Hands On Network have released a comprehensive guidebook on volunteer recruitment, retention and recognition that you can download for free. Below is a summary of the main areas it contains.

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT

 

  • Learn how to create various opportunities for all kinds of volunteers, strategize how to identify target volunteer audiences and ways that you can promote opportunities to recruit new volunteers.


VOLUNTEER RETENTION

 

  • Understand how to engage volunteers, demonstrate their impact and collaborate with them for greater results that support your mission.

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION 
 

  • Receive tips and tools on how to personally recognize volunteers through spotlights and social events.
 
Access the full guide here.

MUST-FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR NONPROFITS

Classy, a leader in nonprofit marketing and news, has released three important considerations for how nonprofit programs like yours can best represent itself online here.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

ADD OUR SENIORS’ STORIES TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IN CELEBRATION OF OLDER AMERICANS MONTH

Each May, we join the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in celebrating Older Americans Month to recognize our seniors for their contributions to the nation, as well as advocate for the programs that help support them. What better way to highlight these contributions and the value Meals on Wheels programs deliver each day than by collecting and sharing heartwarming stories narrated by our seniors themselves?

JOIN THE EFFORT TO RAISE AWARENESS THROUGH STORYCORPS

Meals on Wheels America is joining fellow food and nutrition safety net organizations to fill the Library of Congress with stories that help paint an accurate picture of what hunger (and in our case, isolation) look like in America today. It is up to all of us in the Meals on Wheels network to ensure that our seniors’ stories are a part of this important oral history archive and nationwide effort.

Interviews with our seniors, and even volunteers and staff, can be simply recorded, archived at the Library of Congress and shared by using a brand new StoryCorps Smartphone app. StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate the lives of everyday Americans by listening to their stories.
 
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This tool will enable us to broadcast senior stories, delivered in their own words, creating more compelling tools that express the impact that daily struggles to access meals and socialization have on their health and quality of their lives. It also gives them the opportunity to share how the services you provide – nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks – truly make a difference.
 
To learn more about this unique and impactful opportunity, and how to access our helpful toolkit that will walk you through the interview process from start to finish, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/storycorps.

With the use of StoryCorps this May, we can all Get Into the Act of promoting healthy aging, increasing community involvement and highlighting the impact of Meals on Wheels. Keep an eye out for the next Washington Update email that will present additional ways to educate, advocate and celebrate this Older Americans Month.

TEAMING UP WITH OTHERS TO BETTER STAND UP FOR SENIORS

We all know that the problem of hunger in America is enormous and will take all of us working together to solve. That is why we have been working collaboratively with our national partners Feeding America and Share Our Strength to identify various ways to bring our networks together to forge progress. The opportunities below are intended to provide you with ideas on how to spark productive collaborations in your own community.
 

CONNECTING KIDS AND SENIORS IN THE SUMMER

 
By participating in the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), we can take an intergenerational approach to our current senior congregate and home-delivered meal programs while at the same time help to keep kids fed during the summer break. The result can lead to serving more seniors, larger volunteer bases and new, productive community partnerships.

Meals on Wheels programs engaging in SFSP programs have stepped up to promote the effort and act as sponsors and vendors. For example, Member program Horizons – A Family Service Alliance became an SFSP sponsor in 2012 and was able to gain more funding, more volunteers and a new relationship with the Department of Parks and Recreation. Since 2012, Horizons has been able to dramatically grow the program by tripling the number of meals served. Read the full case study we co-authored with Share Our Strength here. 

If you currently operate a congregate nutrition program, it’s not too late to become a SFSP site this year. To learn more, check out this one page hand-out and/or contact your state agency overseeing SFSP.

Questions regarding SFSP? Contact our Chief Advocacy Officer Erika Kelly at erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1604.

FOOD BANK
COLLABORATIONS


The wide variance in the physical ability individual seniors possess to purchase and prepare food creates a complex environment for those trying to meet their needs. That is why we worked with Feeding America to create a one-page information summary that illustrates the nutrition safety net and how food banks and Meals on Wheels programs can work together to assist seniors as they age.

The handout also contains examples of successful collaborations that your program can use as models in your own community. In one example, the East Texas Food Bank in Tyler, TX provides additional weekend food bags that allow the local Meals on Wheels programs to extend their nutrition services for their clients to seven days a week instead of five.

If you are interested in learning more about successful collaborations nationwide, and/or have questions, feel free to reach out to the Director of Project Management and Impact Uche Akobundu at uche@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1629. 






ALL-NEW MEMBER STORE LAUNCHES!

The Meals on Wheels America rebranding effort continues with the launch of the new Member Store as a great resource for the Meals on Wheels merchandise, photos and videos that tell your program’s compelling story. Here you’ll find Meals on Wheels America merchandise, and new photos and videos, along with some refreshed old-time-favorites – all of which can be customized for your own program. And, all Member programs that place orders before June 1, 2015 will receive a free Meals on Wheels America lapel pin and pen gift set.

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Member programs that officially adopt the new Meals on Wheels brand through the use of the new logo or the Member Brand Badge will also get free use of the gallery of brand-new photographs – some of which you are already seeing on our new website. You’ll find engaging senior portraits, volunteers in action and some great food and kitchen shots that you can use in your own communications and on your website.

Visit the Member Store now to start.  And, feel free to contact Jeff Fritz, Meals on Wheels America's Multi-Media Designer, at 571-339-1631 or jeff@mealsonwheelsamerica.org with questions or suggestions on how we can provide you with more of the support that will engage your audiences and make your program more successful.
 

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MEALS ON WHEELS NEW NATIONAL BRAND INITIATIVE?
CONTACT BRAND@MEALSONWHEELSAMERICA.ORG TO GET STARTED!

DATA PILOTS DRIVE INNOVATION FOR MEALS ON WHEELS

 

The Meals on Wheels operating environment continues to demand that we all prove our claims of community impact and client health outcomes through data. This trend, although not new, will continue to put pressure on our network, which is why several Members asked us to spearhead an effort to take our collective response to the next level. The Data-Driven Pilot program aims to achieve that goal by developing a standardized online data collection and aggregation method to house and analyze program- and client-level data that demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the holistic approach of Meals on Wheels.

The AARP Foundation stepped up to provide the grant to fund the building of the Data-Driven Innovation Pilot Portal that launched in January, 2015. This secure website facilitates the easy reporting and aggregation of program operations and client health outcomes data for the 11 Member programs that are currently participating in the pilot.

Over the past two months, these Member programs have been testing the system and have collected more than 12,218 program-level and client health outcome data points. They will continue to partner with us over the course of the next few months as we refine the Data Pilot Portal with the intent of making it available for use by all Meals on Wheels America Member programs in January, 2016. This effort will allow us all to better prove our impact and make a stronger case for support.

The Pilot's participating Member programs are:
 
  • Aging, Disability and Transit Services of Rockingham County (NC)
  • LaPorte County Meals on Wheels (MI)
  • LIFE Eldercare (CA)
  • Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque (NM)
  • Meals on Wheels of Durham (NC)
  • Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County, Inc (VT)
  • Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services (CA)
  • Mobile Meals Inc (OH)
  • Senior Resources of Guilford (NC)
  • St. Joseph Community Services (NH)
  • TLC Meals on Wheels (CO)
 
If your program would like to apply to become part of this forward-looking group of Data Pilot Portal participants, feel free to reach out to Uche Akobundu, Meals on Wheels America's Director of Project Management and Impact at uche@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1629. You can also apply by clicking the button below:
APPLY NOW

MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

PET FOOD FUNDING OPPORTUNITY – APPLY NOW

The Banfield Charitable Trust (BCT) Pet Food Grant Program is accepting applications from Meals on Wheels America Members looking to start or sustain a pet food distribution program. The funds that will be awarded must be used for pet food, cat litter, pet supplies, grooming, veterinary care (except spay/neuter), temporary boarding expenses, pet food storage and/or rental and/or gas grants for volunteers.

 
IT'S EASY TO APPLY

Download the grant application and email the completed form to darlene.schwartz@banfieldcharitabletrust.org no later than this Thursday, April 30. You can also fax or mail the form to the address below: 

Banfield Charitable Trust 
8000 NE Tillamook Street 
P.O. Box 13998 
Portland, OR 97213 
FAX: (503) 922-6801



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ABOUT THE BCT PET FOOD GRANT PROGRAM

 
BCT has awarded over $1 million in grants to fund pet food distribution programs for Meals on Wheels America Members since 2007. Funding is made possible through BCT's annual holiday pet food drive that collects monetary and pet food donations at more than 800 Banfield Pet Hospitals nationwide. The food is distributed in the form of grants to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels America Members every spring and fall.
 
If you're looking to start a pet food program, BCT will provide you with a program manual free of charge. Email your request to info@banfieldcharitabletrust.org. For more information about all of BCT's efforts to keep pets and people together, visit www.banfieldcharitabletrust.org. If you have any questions, please call the BCT office at 503-922-5801.

MARCH FOR MEALS VOLUNTEER WINNER ANNOUNCED BY CABOT CREAMERY

Cabot Creamery, a 2015 March for Meals silver sponsor, offers a number of different opportunities for Meals on Wheels Member programs and their volunteers across the country.  One, Reward Volunteers, is an easy -to-use web-based platform that allows volunteers to log their volunteer hours and become eligible for prizes awarded to them and the organization they serve. Volunteers who used Reward Volunteers during March for Meals were eligible to win a special Meals on Wheels prize – a three-night stay at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. And we’re thrilled to announce the winner below!
 

Trapp Family Lodge photo

DRUMROLL PLEASE...

 
CONGRATULATIONS to Meals on Wheels of Tampa, Florida’s all-star volunteer, George Hardy! We connected with Meals on Wheels of Tampa’s Executive Director Steve King, and he was thrilled to have one of his hard-working volunteers win this award.
 
“It’s wonderful that Cabot rewards people who dedicate themselves to make our mission a success. There should be more like them!”

- Steve King, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Tampa, FL
 
And the best part? There are plenty more opportunities offered by Cabot that you can take advantage of:

  • Volunteer Rewards – Both volunteers and your program can win rewards all year long! Encourage your volunteers to record their time in the Reward Volunteer App. Learn how to get started, if you haven’t already, here.
  • Gratitude Grill Appearances – Programs on the East Coast can sign up to request their very own 2015 visit from the Farmers' Gratitude Grille. (Learn more below!)
  • Discount on Cabot Cheese – Cabot offers a special savings coupon created just for you by Cabot. Start saving on cheese here.
  • Special Meals on Wheels Recipe – Cabot created a recipe just for your seniors! Download the recipe for chicken, broccoli and rice casserole here.

GRATITUDE ON WHEELS

Meals on Wheels America Member program Senior Services, Inc. of Alexandria, VA tapped into the free rewards offered by Cabot and received a special visit from the Cabot Creamery Farmers' Gratitude Grille, a traveling kitchen that thanks hard-working nonprofit staff and volunteers around the country. The free event, held earlier this month, included cheese-filled sandwiches served to Senior Services’ staff, clients, volunteers and even a few staff members from the Meals on Wheels America team! sign up for a chance to be selected for a visit here. Please note, your program must be located on the East Coast – Cabot Creamery will provide you with eight weeks’ notice if you are selected and will plan your free event and its logistics for you.

Learn more about all of the Cabot Creamery opportunities here. Questions? Contact Rachel Leone, rleone@cabotcheese.com. 

 
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Meals on Wheels America staff spoke with a chef from the Gratitude Grill when they visited with Senior Services of Alexandria, Inc. on Friday, April 17, 2015.

STORY-TELLING MEALS ON WHEELS STYLE

The Meals on Wheels Stories Page is the perfect forum for you, your colleagues and volunteers to share your short stories of personal connection with Meals on Wheels. All visitors to our new website have the opportunity to browse through and read a collection of diverse and heartwarming excerpts that capture why we do what we do. Visitors will leave inspired by a community of people just like them who are experiencing life-changing moments with your programs and the seniors you serve.
 
 
One story in particular was submitted by our Chief Membership Officer Keith Greene in which he describes his first experience as a volunteer as the reason he “got hooked!” This experience left him wanting to come back more and more to help deliver meals for a local program.

"I knew the experience would be impactful, but I didn't realize HOW impactful! My myths about what a typical client were dispelled quickly. These were people like you and me, like my Mom, like friends and other family members, who were unable to either prepare their meals or shop for them. Some were better off than others, but all of them had value as human beings! I'll never forget the gratitude on their faces, their stories, their warmth and kindness and them! I've since delivered meals for multiple programs and I've served meals in congregate centers and I've prepared meals for next-day distribution, and I will never stop! All it took was one volunteer experience for me to get me "hooked!”
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Sound familiar? We want to hear from you! Share your story here. You will be prompted to provide a story title, your name, story content and photo. Feel free to get creative – just be sure to have it tie in with your personal connection to Meals on Wheels. Once you’re done, hit “save” – it may take a few days to process but keep an eye out for your story to appear!

Questions? Contact Member Communications Manager, Lauren Fielder, at lauren@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1621. Start sharing!

WHAT EVERY FUNDRAISER CAN DO TO STOP FALLING DONOR RETENTION RATES – WEBINAR

Join the Leadership Academy for a FREE webinar on Tuesday, May 12 that will focus on the causes of poor donor retention rates and how to make impactful changes that will turn that around. Presenter Jay B. Love, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomerang, will present the findings from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, conducted by two world-renowned fundraising experts and provide you with practical examples of how to apply this knowledge. You will also gain a better understanding of current donor retention trends, how your program can engage loyal donors and communication techniques that will support your fundraising strategy.

IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:

  • Become familiar with current research on donor retention and how your program can improve your own donor retention;
  • Learn how to calculate your donor retention rate; and
  • Gain new donor communication techniques that will improve donor loyalty.


WEBINAR: What Every Fundraiser Can Do To Stop Falling Donor Retention Rates
PRESENTER: Jay B. Love, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomerang
WHEN: Tuesday, May 12
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
REGISTRATION FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW

ADVANCED NONPROFIT NEWSLETTERS THAT GET PEOPLE TO DONATE! –WEBINAR

Learn how you can use your organization’s newsletter to inspire support and subscriptions during this upcoming Leadership Academy webinar with Mazarine Treyz, Founder and Principal of Wild Woman Fundraising. On Thursday, May 14 at 3:30 p.m. EDT, Mazarine will walk you through a variety of creative ways to engage readers and grow your audience.

IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
 
  • Identify the five reasons people share your newsletter;
  • Explore how to use sample surveys to help segment your subscribers;
  • Learn how to use subject lines to get people to actually open your newsletter;
  • Discover how to use effective calls to action for your newsletter;
  • Learn how to use headlines to help your donors give; and
  • Review four simple emails that lead people to take action.
WEBINAR: Advanced Nonprofit Newsletters That Get People to Donate!
PRESENTER: Mazarine Treyz
WHEN: Thursday, May 14
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
COMPETENCY: Relationship Building
CONCENTRATION: Communications
REGISTRATION FEE: $25
REGISTER NOW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

 

Community Services and Employment Training, Inc., CA    
Elbert Senior Center, GA    
Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments, OK   
River Woods Senior Living, PA    
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, TN    
Dunn County Nutrition Program, WI