YOUR PROGRAM COULD QUALIFY FOR A $750 SCHOLARSHIP
TO ATTEND THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE
To assist Member programs unable to attend the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville August 31 – September 2 without outside financial support, we are pleased to offer up to 100 scholarships of $750 each to be applied toward registration and/or travel.
Any Meals on Wheels America Member program can apply for the scholarships through Friday, April 29, 2016 and we especially encourage programs with a small number of staff to use this opportunity to submit an application through the Online Grants Management System. We are fortunate to be able to offer so many scholarships this year thanks to our ongoing relationship with Subaru.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, a Member program must be in good standing at the time of application submission and remain in good standing until the scholarship payments are distributed and all subsequent reports have been submitted. Scholarship award recipients will be required to register and pay full Conference Registration fees in advance of July 1. Reimbursement checks for the full amount of the scholarship award will be provided on site at the Conference.
NEED-BASED CRITERIA
To qualify for a scholarship, Member programs must demonstrate that one or more of the following hardships has adversely impacted available funding for continuing education or for attending conferences:
- A decrease in their overall 2016 senior nutrition revenue/funding budget (in comparison to 2015):
- Initiation of a waitlist
- A growing waitlist
- A notable change in the demographic composition of the program’s service area or the need for services:
- A high percentage of the client population served near or below the poverty line
- A high percentage of rural clients
- An ethnically diverse population
- An increase in demand for services in the 60+ population
- An increase in demand for services from Veterans and former service members
- An increase in demand for services from multi-generational households
- Some other demographic or geographic challenge not mentioned above
- A weather-related emergency or natural disaster this past year that affected your facilities, operations and/or service delivery (i.e., extreme snowfall, extreme cold/heat, fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, etc.)
- Some other extraordinary hardship, not otherwise described by the categories above.
Members will be asked to complete a simple online application form with related questions. Applicants will be evaluated based on how the demonstrated hardship impacts their ability to otherwise attend the Annual Conference, and how their program and clients will benefit from attendance. Please note that, if qualified, only one scholarship will be awarded per Member program.
The application must be submitted through the Online Grants Management System no later than Friday, April 29, 2016 to be considered. Scholarship recipients will be notified by May 26, 2016.
JOIN YOUR PEERS IN NASHVILLE – REGISTER TODAY!
More than 140 of your peers from across the country have already taken advantage of our discounted registration rates for the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference. Early-Bird pricing is available through July 1, 2016 and additional discounts are applied when you attend with one or more of your colleagues.
Register today
IMPORTANT NOTE: Our discounted Conference room block at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is limited and rates will expire on August 1 or sooner if the block has filled. Last year our room block filled up very quickly, so it is important to reserve your rooms early if you'd like to stay where the Conference is taking place. You can
book your stay online or by calling 1-888-777-6779. Be sure to mention the group discount code "Meals on Wheels America."
Learn more about registration, keynotes and accommodations here.
APPLY FOR A MEALS ON WHEELS LOVES PETS GRANT BY APRIL 30
Most of us have heard anecdotally or seen firsthand the strong bond between seniors and their furry companions. The Meals on Wheels Loves Pets 2016 grants are intended to support this special love between seniors and their pets by helping Member programs that have a pet program or are interested in starting one.
GRANT INFORMATION
Need-based grants of up to $2,500 are available to eligible Member programs to fund the following pet program expenses:
- Pet food and storage, including prescription diet food and treats
- Cat litter
- Pet supplies
- Grooming
- Veterinary care, including spay/neuter, medications and flea & tick prevention
- Temporary boarding expenses
- Gas grants for volunteers to deliver pet food
HOW TO APPLY
All you need to do is submit a Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant application through our Online Grants Management System. There are two separate applications – one for those Members with an existing pet program and one for those who are interested in creating a new pet program. Although you can start working on your application at any time and save as you go, it must be finalized and submitted no later than Saturday, April 30, 2016 to be eligible.
IN OTHER MEALS ON WHEELS LOVES PETS NEWS...
Last month, the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets team attended the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida. They met with pet manufacturers and distributors from across the country to tell them about the great work local Meals on Wheels programs are doing to support seniors and their pets! Meals on Wheels even got a shout-out in the April issue of Pet Business. Read the article here.
We can all work together to keep seniors and their pets together. For more information on the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets program, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/petassistance.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Did you know that we have an online discussion group where Members just like you are actively collaborating with their peers on crucial topics? Contribute and learn about these topics by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group here. A few of the most recent conversations in the group include:
- Best practices and products for transporting various meals;
- How and when to recognize donors; and
- Recommendations on emergency preparedness for inclement weather conditions.
THE LATEST TOOLS FROM ASSOCIATION PARTNER UST
Meals on Wheels Member Discount Program partner Unemployment Services Trust (UST) just released its top 10 guides for 2016 Nonprofit Human Resource Management. Your program can use access these free tools to ensure it’s in compliance all year long in addition to learning the top trends in nonprofit job satisfaction.
DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT
Also new with UST is their latest partnership with CareerArc, forged to provide UST members with resources to offer employees assistance in finding their next job. Learn more about it through their webinar series here.
Questions? Feel free to contact UST by emailing them at info@ChooseUST.org.
RESOURCES IN THE TOOLKIT INCLUDE:
- Quick 2016 HR Practices Checklist
- Nonprofit Employee Engagement Strategies eBook
- Federal HR Compliance Chart
- Federal Recordkeeping Checklist
- Unemployment Cost Analysis Form
- 5 Myths Increasing Your Unemployment Costs eBook
- Small Employer ACA Checklist
- Large Employer ACA Checklist
- Workers Compensation Checklist
- Summary of Payroll, Retirement & Unemployment Limits
SUPPORT YOUR SENIORS WITH A VOTE TO END HUNGER
Vote to End Hunger (VTEH) launched in fall 2015 with one main goal in mind: to leverage the 2016 election process, within the parameters of 501(c)(3) status, to make hunger and poverty higher political priorities so that the next President and Congress will take action.
In order to achieve this goal, VTEH has focused on educating voters and candidates about hunger and poverty by raising awareness and empowering individuals and organizations to take action through local grassroots efforts. Groups around the country have gotten involved by attending or hosting town halls, posting on social media, participating in candidate forums, and more. To help elevate these important issues on the campaign trail, the campaign is prompting programs like yours to help get involved.
Check out their recently-released toolkit to learn how you can get involved with the campaign, attend educational webinars, and utilize drafted social media content and other tools.
SIGN-ON AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND/OR ORGANIZATION
Questions? Contact our Public Policy Manager Crystal Espie at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
SAVE NOW ON PRODUCTS LIKE ENSURE AND GLUCERNA SHAKE
One of several offerings through our Member Discount Program is significantly discounted pricing on popular products like Ensure® and Glucerna Shake® through Abbott Nutrition, a market leader for oral nutrition supplements. As a Meals on Wheels America Member, your program can order directly from Abbott or through our Group Purchasing Partner US Foods. Learn how to get started on saving by contacting Steven Skelton, Business Services Manager at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706-436-3999.
TOOLS TO HELP YOUR SENIOR CLIENTS AVOID SCAMS
FREE RESOURCE FOR SENIORS NOW AVAILABLE
The CFPB created a placemat to help educate your senior clients on simple tips for avoiding common consumer scams. The placemats are free and we encourage you to order them so that you can distribute them to your seniors or use them at your congregate meals site. All you have to do is complete this form and CFPB will send the placemats directly to your program free of charge! They can be ordered by the box (1,500 placemats) or the bundle (500 placemats).
This is just one of several tools the CFPB provides seniors in order to combat the billions of dollars that financial abuse is costing older Americans ̶ with as many as 17% of Americans 65 and older reporting that they have been the victim of financial exploitation. Telephone, mail order, and Internet scams are a big part of the problem and can be prevented.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SERVE ON THE MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA BOARD – WEBINAR, APRIL 28
Ever wonder what it takes to be a great Board Member? Participation in Meals on Wheels America governance is a valuable right, and we urge Members to be active in helping to shape the future of not just the Association, but the network as a whole. Whether you are considering nominating yourself to be a part of the Meals on Wheels America Board of Directors, or are just interested as to what is involved in playing a key role in the Association's Governance, this free webinar on Thursday, April 28 is for you!
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
- Hear from three of our current Board Members, who will provide their individual perspectives on their Meals on Wheels America Board experience;
- Learn more about what's expected of Board Members so you can decide if you would be a good fit; and
- Have the opportunity to ask questions about all things related to Meals on Wheels America Governance.
WEBINAR: What It's Like to Serve on the Meals on Wheels America Board PRESENTERS: Board Chair Liz Seman, Vice Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee Ashley McCumber, and Immediate Past Board Chair Vinsen Faris
MODERATOR: President and CEO Ellie Hollander
WHEN: Thursday, April 28, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW
WHAT’S NEW IN THE NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON NUTRITION AND AGING (NRCNA) ONLINE LIBRARY? – WEBINAR, MAY 3
Register for the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging’s (NRCNA) free webinar on Tuesday, May 3 to learn what tailored resources are available in this helpful online library and discuss how the website could be designed to better meet your needs.
NRCNA hosted by Meals on Wheels America, empowers senior nutrition programs by providing tools and resources that promote organizational excellence, service quality, business acumen and models for social entrepreneurship. Through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living and Administration on Aging, the NRCNA offers a range of resources that cover best practices and emerging trends in the fields of nutrition, aging, healthcare integration, innovative program practices and much more.
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
-
Become familiar with the resources (trainings, events, reports, etc.) available on the NRCNA online portal;
- Learn how to navigate the website and research various topics within the online library; and
- Gain insight on the resources and training needs of nutrition and aging services professionals at each level of the Aging Network.
THE POWER OF MAPPING: HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD INCORPORATE MAPPING IN YOUR WORK – WEBINAR, MAY 12
Register for this Leadership Academy webinar to learn how you can use valuable public data sources to map and track key subsets of your service area. The information provided on Thursday, May 12 at 3:30 p.m. EDT will enable you to utilize free software tools that can help your organization plan for the future. Presenter Jessica Tice of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs will also share a real life example of how the agency developed its Elder Needs Index Maps.
IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:
- Learn how to find public data suitable for mapping the population;
- Gain an understanding on how to map key population characteristics using free mapping software tools;
- Identify ways your program can use mapping to track and plan your organization’s activities; and
- Hear examples of ways these innovations have been applied.
WEBINAR: The Power of Mapping: How and Why You Should Incorporate Mapping in Your Work PRESENTER: Jessica Tice, Research Coordinator, Florida Department of Elder Affairs
WHEN: Thursday, May 12, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
COMPETENCY: Planning for the Future
CREDIT(S): 1
FEE: $25
REGISTER NOW