PRESIDENT AND CEO ELLIE HOLLANDER
WELCOMES YOU TO THE NEW YEAR

Click on the video below for Ellie’s New Year greeting to Membership and a high level view of the exciting year we have planned for you.

LOTS OF HELP FOR YOUR MARCH FOR MEALS PLANNING!

January has been packed full of 2016 March for Meals preparations and planning, and we want to make sure that you don’t miss any of the information and resources that will support not only your program’s success this March, but also the Meals on Wheels nationwide movement! Read on for a rundown of what’s available!

MARCH FOR MEALS 101 WEBINAR RECAP

If you were unable to join more than 300 Meals on Wheels attendees from around the country on January 7 for our annual March for Meals 101 webinar, you can still download the recording and presentation slides below.
VIEW THE RECORDING
DOWNLOAD THE SLIDES

HERE'S WHAT WE COVERED

An overview of the 2016 March for Meals and how it can benefit your program;
The resources available at www.marchformeals.com to aid in your planning, activities and success;
The merchandise credits and a March for Meals grant opportunity available to Members; and
Past March for Meals successes and helpful insights straight from fellow Members.

We'd like to thank Minuteman Senior Services in Bedford, MA and The Thompson Center in Woodstock, VT for sharing their creative engagement ideas, success stories and overall enthusiasm!

$50 OF FREE MERCHANDISE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Branded March for Meals merchandise from our Meals on Wheels America Member Store can take your local campaign to the next level. In an effort to boost nationwide recognition, Member programs in good standing receive a one-time $50 merchandise credit that can be used to purchase March for Meals apparel and campaign supplies – much of which can be customized to include your own logo! And, even if your program doesn't have a budget for supplies, you can use your credit to cover the cost of our first-ever March for Meals Starter Kit!

Start shopping today and simply use the promo code MEMBER2016 at checkout to deduct $50 from your first order total. Your Membership status will be verified when your order is processed.

GOT LITTLE TO NO BUDGET FOR SUPPLIES?

Our March for Meals Starter Kit is filled with $50 worth of gear to help make your campaign a success. Your one-time $50 credit can be applied to cover the cost; your program just pays for shipping!

Starter Kits include:

25 Balloons
10 Buttons
2 Hats
2 T-Shirts

These kits will help you get your March for Meals campaign off the ground and celebrate the new brand in your local community!

Place you orders by Friday, February 12 to ensure your supplies arrive in time for March 1! For order support or to place a custom order, contact our Coggins Promo account manager Mandy Reames at mreames@cogginspromo.com or 912-232-3754.

RAISE FUNDS WITH A T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER

Meals on Wheels America and Booster have teamed up to provide Members with the opportunity to raise funds for your local program through the sale of official March for Meals t-shirts. To learn more about customizing a t-shirt design to celebrate March for Meals in your community, setting up your own fundraising webpage and cashing in on 100% of the proceeds, visit www.marchformeals.com/booster or watch our first March for Meals On-Demand Webinar: Fundraising with Booster. It will walk you through the entire set up process in 22 minutes!

Keep an eye out for emails with additional resources as we roll them out over the next month! As always, we're here to help! Contact Lauren Fielder, our Member Communications Manager, at lauren@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1621 with any March for Meals questions.

DOWNLOAD THE 2016 MEMBER BADGE TODAY

The 2016 Member Badge is now ready to be downloaded and displayed by all Meals on Wheels America Member programs. Just log in to our website to access the file to proudly convey your affiliation with one of the most powerful social movements in America. Display it on your website, your collateral material, letterhead and everywhere else you connect with supporters and members of your community.

GET STARTED TODAY

PREPARE FOR THE AD COUNCIL CAMPAIGN

The 2016 Member Badge will display a particularly valuable message as the Meals on Wheels network will achieve great visibility through the launch of our national Ad Council PSA campaign later this year. Demonstrating that your program is part of that effort will make a strong statement about your Membership.

The Badge is free with your membership, so click here to download it now. You'll also be given directions on how to display it proudly and gain access to free unlimited use of the Meals on Wheels America photo gallery!

Questions? Contact brand@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

LOVE LETTERS 2016 HELPS TO COMBAT SENIOR ISOLATION

lovelettersHEADER

Love Letters, one of our most popular and successful Member campaigns, has launched for its third year in a row, thanks to our friends at DoSomething.org. DoSomething’s youth volunteers have already started crafting and we’re hoping at least 100,000 cards will be delivered to your programs’ seniors through this year’s campaign.

SPREAD THE WORD

Share, like and comment on our latest social media posts to amplify our campaign’s heartwarming message. Here are the links:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER

Are you receiving Love Letters? Tell local press about your program's involvement in the nationwide campaign and our partnership with DoSomething.org. Just fill in the blanks in our press release template here and send it to your local news outlets. Let us know what coverage you receive and email us photos of your seniors reading their Love Letters by emailing Member Communications Manager Lauren Fielder at lauren@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

FINAL WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING REPORT RELEASED

On July 13, 2015, President Obama hosted the sixth White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), a once-in-a-decade event. Older Americans and their families, caregivers and advocates joined President Obama at the White House and participated virtually through hundreds of “watch parties” across the country. Our very own Ellie Hollander attended and was honored to join Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on stage for a policy discussion about hunger and nutrition. The July event built on a year-long dialogue that highlighted the issues most important to help inform the changing aging landscape in America for the coming decade.

Additional events, such as our special Town Hall with Nora Super, Executive Director of the WHCOA during our 2014 Annual Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, were created to gear up for the main event in 2015.

The final WHCOA report summarizes the eventful year and the valuable feedback received at the various forums held across the country. Read the report here.

2015 NATIONAL EVALUATION DELIVERS IMPORTANT
INSIGHT FOR YOUR PROGRAM’S SUCCESS

The Administration on Aging within the Administration for Community Living recently released the long-awaited Phase One findings for the National Evaluation of the Title III-C Elderly Nutrition Services Program. The last evaluation of its kind was conducted over 20 years ago, so access to this new information means you now have the best data available to better serve your seniors. Most importantly, the up-to-date insights contained in this evaluation are critical to informing your operational decisions, ensuring your program’s future readiness, sustainability and ability to compete in the ever-changing for-profit market. The evaluation includes two different reports: Process Evaluation of OAA Nutrition Programs and Meals Cost Analysis of OAA Nutrition Programs.

Some context on the reports can be accessed below:

PROCESS EVALUATION OF OAA NUTRITION PROGRAMS

This report focuses on an evaluation of program administration and service delivery, and provides important insight to support your program’s planning, and efficiency/effectiveness that allows you to benchmark your processes against other senior nutrition programs across the country.

MEALS COST ANALYSIS OF OAA NUTRITION PROGRAM

This report confirms ongoing trends - like the fact that meal costs vary by program size, structure and location. Other insights are more unexpected - such as the fact that average meal costs and cost efficiencies have not changed significantly since the 1993-1995 National Evaluation. One of the most important trends the evaluation reveals is the rising cost of meal production - a problem that could deeply impact Meals on Wheels programs.

These and other insights are critical for your program to be aware of and to keep in mind when planning for the years ahead. If you have any questions about the National Evaluation, please reach out to Uche Akobundu, Director of Project Management and Impact, at uche@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1629.

TECH START-UPS CAN’T DELIVER WHAT YOU DO

Photo VIA Luc Melanson

More and more tech companies are creating new products aimed at enabling seniors to live more independently at home. A recent New York Times article, To Reach Seniors, Tech Start-Ups Must First Relate to Them, points out that while investments in this space increase, even the smartest gadgets on the market can fall short of being completely reliable, and relatable, for seniors.

“It’s incredibly well meaning,” said geriatrician at the University of California, Dr. Ken Covinsky, in the article. “But there are assumptions [from tech companies] that are at odds with the problems our patients and families are facing.” Dr. Ken went on to say that although “they don’t necessarily need someone to know when they open the fridge, they need someone to make or deliver a good meal.”

As tech companies continue to roll out more innovative gadgets, it’s our network that knows a golden insight better than anyone: nothing beats a prepared meal, in-person friendly visit and safety check.

Read the full article here.

NEW FIVE-YEAR DIETARY GUIDELINES RELEASED

The new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was recently released to encourage Americans to adopt nutritional, science-based recommendations to improve how they eat and to ultimately reduce obesity and prevent chronic diseases.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines was based on recommendations from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which was composed of prestigious researchers in the fields of nutrition, health and medicine, in addition to feedback from the public and various federal agencies. We wouldn’t be surprised if some of you weighed in on this, too!

There are five overarching guidelines in the new edition as well as an executive summary that you can find here. Some specific differences between these new guidelines and the last report include updated guidance on topics such as added sugars, sodium and cholesterol as well as new information on caffeine.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA WELCOMES NEW TEAM LEADERS

We're proud to welcome three new team leaders to the Meals on Wheels America family:

Lucy Theilheimer, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer
Kristine Templin, Chief Development Officer
Todd Turner, Chief Membership Officer

See what they look forward to contributing the most to our network in their welcome video below.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN THUS FAR: #SENIORSCANTWAIT

Because of our Membership’s participation in the #SeniorsCantWait campaign, elected officials, communities and others learned about the growing nationwide waiting list crisis. Collectively, we used social media engagement to shed light on this issue and, in doing so, raised awareness and produced real action on behalf of our nation’s seniors. The #SeniorsCantWait campaign was a contributing factor to the additional $20+ million appropriated for senior nutrition programs in December. With your continued efforts, we hope Congress will finally reauthorize the Older Americans Act and invest in it further so that no senior is left isolated or hungry.

The heart of the campaign was a set of hard-hitting social media images that we customized at no charge for Members who wanted to use them to draw attention to the challenges they are facing in their own communities.

Through the easy-to-use advocacy tools found on www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/seniorscantwait, we’ve created numerous social media engagements with Members of Congress.

THE CAMPAIGN’S IMPACT THUS FAR

More than 250 calls and emails were made to Members of Congress
114 U.S. Senators and Representatives from 26 states were contacted with the #SeniorsCantWait message
Nearly 100 Member programs ordered and used custom social media images and sample posts
California, Texas and North Carolina were the top three most engaged states

LET’S KEEP THE DRUM BEATING

We want the campaign to continue to grow and reach Members of Congress in all 50 states. We need your help to keep the conversation going.

For more information on how to get involved in the campaign, go to our #SeniorsCantWait Member page. To date, we’ve created toolkits with custom social media images and sample posts for nearly 100 Member programs. To the right are some great examples of how other programs are using their toolkit materials to engage with their Members of Congress.

If you have any questions about the campaign, contact Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager, at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

NEW YEAR, NEW MEMBERSHIP RATES TAKE EFFECT

The new Meals on Wheels America dues structure officially took effect on January 1, 2016 and more than 400 Members took advantage of locking in 2015 dues for 2016 before the end of the year. This dues increase – the first in eight years - is just one of the steps we are taking to create more value for our Members.

The new dues structure contains tiered levels based on program size as defined by senior nutrition operating budget. The tiers are as follows:

Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets less than $500,000: $175 per year
Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets between $500,000 and $2,000,000: $225 per year
Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets greater than $2,000,000: $300 per year

Contact our Membership Team at membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or (888) 998-6325 with any questions.

MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA TAKES ACTION TO PROTECT OUR NETWORK

We are all well aware that the U.S. Government has the ability to make decisions that could affect Meals on Wheels programs – for better or for worse. We make it our priority to help serve as a voice for your program and those you serve by fighting for, or standing up against, proposed rules, policies and legislation.

President and CEO Ellie Hollander recently responded on behalf of Meals on Wheels America to two proposed rules. One by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) involving charitable giving and the other by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to hospital discharge planning. Here are the specifics about each rule and the changes we are fighting to make on your behalf.

Proposed IRS Rule: Substantiation Requirement for Charitable Contributions

We are urging reconsideration of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding the expansion of substantiation reporting for charitable contributions over $250.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Your program could potentially have to cover the costs associated with storing taxpayer identifier information, including the use of staff time, creation of policies and procedures, and the need for data encryption systems.
Charitable giving could be negatively impacted, as donors may be hesitant to share additional personal information.

This rule comes at a time when charities are still recovering from the aftermath of the Great Recession and federal funding cuts (i.e., sequestration) and are strapped for resources. Our hope is that the actions we’ve taken on your behalf will help protect your program and the seniors you serve. You can read all of Ellie’s comments to this proposed rule here.

Proposed CMS Rule: Discharge Planning for Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals and Home Health Agencies

We support the strengthening of the hospital discharge process that this rule seeks to accomplish and its recommendation that discharge planners collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs). However, we believe that the proposed rule needs to go further to include the crucial role that nutrition plays in expediting recovery upon discharge, as well as mention of the existing Meals on Wheels community-based network as an invaluable nationwide support infrastructure.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:

Meals on Wheels programs are not included in this rule as a designated CBO, despite evidence that points to our programs substantially reducing readmissions and other post-discharge costs.
A nutritional assessment and an evaluation of a patient’s access to nutritional foods during recovery are not fully established as critical steps in the discharge process outlined in this rule.
Physicians and hospital discharge planners have not been given the ability to order Meals on Wheels services upon discharge or designated funding available to pay for it through this rule.

Ellie’s letter is one of many steps we are taking as an organization to ensure that Meals on Wheels programs are seen as essential partners and players in the healthcare space. You can read the full letter here.

If you have questions about either of the rules or the actions Meals on Wheels America is taking on behalf of your programs, contact our Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer Erika Kelly at erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

NEW MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA ADDRESS

You can find us at our new address, below. And, as always, feel free to reach us on our main line at 1-888-998-6325, too!

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MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

EARLY SURGE IN 2016 CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONS SETS
THE TONE FOR AN EXCITING EVENT

More than 100 of your peers from across the country have already taken advantage of our discounted registration rates for the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville August 31 – September 2. Early-bird pricing is available through July 1, 2016 and additional discounts are applied when you attend with one or more of your colleagues.

Such a surge in early 2016 registrations has us even more excited to build on the momentum of Sparking the Movement as we push the limits of our thinking, teach emerging skills, offer fresh perspectives and share plans for seizing the incredible opportunities ahead.

2016 FULL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION	JULY 1, 2016	AFTER JULY 1
Meals on Wheels America Member	$475	$525	Register
Member Group Rate*	$425	$475	Register

Our Key Focus Areas for this Year’s Conference

Leveraging the National Meals on Wheels Ad Council Campaign – Our national awareness and volunteer recruitment campaign, set to launch this summer, will thrust Meals on Wheels into the spotlight through carefully crafted public service announcements (PSAs) across millions of dollars worth of donated media. Keynotes and courses will focus on the many ways you can leverage this nationwide campaign to create significate local impact.

Forming Vital Collaborations and Partnerships – Regardless of your program’s size, scope or resources, identifying and cultivating cross-sector collaborations and partnerships is crucial to your program’s vitality and future sustainability. The 2016 Conference will cover a full range of topics from healthcare integration to identifying new revenue sources through local collaborations.

Improving Our Competitive Advantage – The senior nutrition market has become extremely competitive, and the time has come for us all to grab the bull by the horns. Intensive courses and the Meals on Wheels Expo will explore how to adapt to and differentiate your offerings in this changing landscape. We will focus on developing a greater understanding of the current and future environment, identifying diverse funding streams, and collecting the data that will enable you to prove your outcomes and impact.

*If you are already enrolled in the Meals on Wheels Leadership Academy and working toward a Leadership Certificate, attending the Annual Conference will help you earn your certificate sooner. In addition, many of the courses provide CEU credits for dieticians and CFRE credits for fundraisers.

DON’T DELAY BOOKING YOUR HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Our discounted Conference room block is limited and rates will expire on August 1 or sooner if the block has filled. Last year in Orlando, 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 always cancel your reservation should your plans change.)

Our discounted room rate is $139 for single/double occupancy traditional rooms and $204 for single/double occupancy premium/atrium rooms (+ state and local taxes). These rates include the resort fee and are available from August 27 through September 6, 2016, so feel free to take advantage of the discount to extend your stay and explore Nashville.

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."

BOOK NOW

STAY TUNED

As in previous years, we will be offering a number of Conference Scholarships. Look out for more information on how to apply in the upcoming weeks. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding the Conference at 888-998-6325 or membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

TOGETHER, WE’RE IMPROVING THE HOMES OF OUR SENIOR VETERANS

This fall, we brought you along for Home Depot's fifth annual Celebration of Service, benefiting Meals on Wheels America and eight other fortunate national partners that serve veterans in various ways. Our participation earned us $80,000 in Home Depot gift cards that we offered up to Members on a first-come, first-served basis to use toward Team Depot projects for veteran clients.

We’re happy to report that the applications came in quickly and we were able to distribute each and every gift card to eight deserving Members who received $10,000 each. These Members will join forces with the Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate-led volunteer force, in their communities to complete critical home repair services for their senior veteran clients. Funding recipients include:

Chatham County Council on Aging (Pittsboro, NC)
Habersham County Senior Center (Demorest, GA)
Lake County Council on Aging (Mentor, OH)
Meals on Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County (Fort Worth, TX)
Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
Senior Services Inc. (Winston-Salem, NC)
Solutions That Empower People (Rocky Mount, VA)
Walton Options (Augusta, GA)

Please join us in congratulating these Members! As they create impact in each of their communities, we’ll be sure to share updates on social media, as well.

Meals on Wheels America is also proud to support several Members year-round through our ongoing, strategic partnership with The Home Depot Foundation. Now in its second year, the “Helping Homebound Heroes” program will support four programs across the country to expand their existing home repair services. Those programs are:

Meals on Wheels and More (Austin, TX)
Meals on Wheels of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Cumberland County Council on Older Adults (Fayetteville, NC)
Osceola Council on Aging (Kissimmee, FL)

In total, we anticipate this program will provide home repair services for approximately 175 senior veterans in need – just another way Meals on Wheels delivers so much more than a meal.

SEE WHAT YOU CAN BE SAVING THROUGH OUR MEMBER DISCOUNT PROGRAM

Our Member Discount Program creates dramatic savings on the products and services you use most. That’s exactly what some Meals on Wheels America Members learned when they did a Market Basket Analysis – a free tool used to help programs learn how much they can save through our Member Discount Program’s Group Purchasing Program through Premier on the products and services they’re already purchasing.

“We are very excited to make the change to Premier and US Foods. Not only will the savings of $121,000 annually be beneficial, but the technology will save us time, help us be more efficient and give us the capabilities to report on our business. We look forward to our partnership.”

- Debbie Case, Meals-On-Wheels Greater San Diego, San Diego, CA

LEARN HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE IN 2016 NOW

Follow these steps to kick-start your year of saving even more:

Sign up with our Member Discount Program’s Group Purchasing Partner, Premier, if you haven’t yet already here.
Complete the food service Market Basket Analysis here. You can also request an analysis of office supplies and other products through the form available here.
Sit back and wait - the analysis will take approximately three weeks. Meals on Wheels America's Business Services Manager Steven Skelton will follow up directly with a detailed report.

While there is no guarantee we can save your program money on every single previously purchased item, we can tell you that this program provides an incredible potential savings on products you’re already purchasing. Give it a try! Questions? Contact Steven Skelton at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

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.

KEEPING UP WITH HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS - WEBINAR, FEBRUARY 17

In order to attract and build successful partnerships with healthcare entities, it is vital that your organization has a comprehensive understanding of the industry's needs, motivations and bottom line. Presenter Sharon Williams previously provided insight on the solutions your organization can deliver to meet these needs when partnering with healthcare entities through an introductory webinar held last December called, The Key Drivers for Healthcare Organizations When Partnering with CBO's. Sharon will continue the conversation through this webinar, taking place on Wednesday, February 17 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:

Hear how you can apply these learnings to your marketing strategies and, ultimately, approach healthcare organizations with partnership contracts;
Gain an understanding of the importance of pricing your services and how to do so effectively;
Identify key value propositions for different health organizations; and

Learn how you can connect with the right contacts within these healthcare organizations.

WEBINAR: Keeping Up with Healthcare Organizations: Understanding the Value Proposition as Integrated Care Progresses
PRESENTER: Founder and CEO of Williams Jaxon, Consulting, LLC, Sharon R. Williams
WHEN: Wednesday, February 17, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST
FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Alexander City Meals on Wheels, Alexander City, AL
B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Towanda, PA
Durham Center for Senior Life, Durham, NC
Hunt County Senior Center Resources and Public Transit, Greenville, TX
Prairie Five Senior Nutrition, Montevideo, MN
Valley View Hospital, Glenwood Springs, CO
Washburn County Unit on Aging, Spooner, WI

PRESIDENT AND CEO ELLIE HOLLANDER WELCOMES YOU TO THE NEW YEAR