JOIN THE SUMMER RECESS RUSH NOW!

GET PREPARED

Make the most out of their visit by educating them on the facts and leveraging the event to raise publicity and awareness for Meals on Wheels. Our Summer Recess Rush Member Toolkit, accessible at www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/srr, has all of the resources you need to be successful! You can brush up on your knowledge of the Older Americans Act and other key legislation, print out handouts to leave with your Members of Congress and use our social media tips and images to get the word out. There are even suggestions on how you can tie-in the “America, Let’s Do Lunch™” campaign when promoting your activities.

LOOK OUT FOR A BIG REVEAL IN AUGUST

We’ll be sending you a Summer Recess Rush Update email in August that will include information about our all-new online Member Advocacy Center. This will be your new one-stop-shop for accessing advocacy resources, taking action and staying up-to-date on all of Meals on Wheels America’s advocacy activities on Capitol Hill and with the aging and nutrition network.

Questions? Reach out to Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager, at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

2016 CONFERENCE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND PRESENTERS NOW POSTED

Whether you’re working towards a Meals on Wheels Leadership Certificate, have already completed one or are just looking to gain new knowledge and insights, the courses offered at the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference provide the opportunity to work in the major areas and disciplines that make our programs run successfully. Check out the 2016 Conference microsite for all the latest information on courses and presenters.

We look forward to seeing you in Nashville!

JOIN THE WHITE HOUSE IN URGING COMMUNITIES
TO LOOK OUT FOR SENIORS IN EXTREME HEAT

This month’s record-breaking heat wave has warranted a national response, with the White House urging communities to stay hydrated, stay indoors and keep an eye on our vulnerable neighbors. This is a perfect time to speak out about how your program addresses extreme heat conditions and to provide tips and advice for keeping seniors safe and to call on your communities to help out. Here are some quick and easy ways to get the word out:

WEBINAR DEPICTS SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER LIFECYCLE

Looking for a better approach to finding, onboarding and retaining the right volunteers for your program? Verified Volunteers, an industry leader in volunteer recruitment and Meals on Wheels America partner, is offering a three-part webinar series “The Lifecycle of a Volunteer” to address just that. This series, which has two webinar recordings already available, will move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to recruiting, instead covering approaches that match volunteers and programs for long-term, successful relationships. 

Nationally recognized speaker on volunteer engagement and nonprofit management Beth Steinhorn will lead the series, sharing insight from her more than 25 years in the industry. Steinhorn will show you how to conduct the right volunteer interviews with the right questions and people involved, in addition to outlining effective trends in volunteer training to increase retention. Feel like a particular volunteer just isn’t working out? Steinhorn will also discuss how to effectively address issues or, if necessary, release a volunteer without affecting your program’s morale.

To watch any of the webinars, or register for the upcoming one on August 4, select them by clicking each webinar individually and filling out a quick registration form here.

ONE STEP CLOSER TO DEVELOPING A GROUNDBREAKING
‘PAY FOR SUCCESS’ MODEL FOR MEALS ON WHEELS

 
PAY FOR SUCCESS 101

While relatively new, Pay for Success is an approach to contracting that ties payment for service delivery to the achievement of measurable outcomes – an approach that we feel could be a complete win-win for the Meals on Wheels network and communities at large. The movement towards Pay for Success contracting is a means of ensuring that high-quality, effective social services are working for individuals and communities. To learn more about Pay for Success, check out the Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Pay for Success 101.

With more than 12,000 Americans turning 60 each day, traditional funding sources lagging, and the healthcare system overburdened, it is the goal of Meals on Wheels America to leave no stone unturned in advancing our evidence-based model. We look forward to keeping Members abreast of this project’s success as it develops.

JOIN US AT CONFERENCE TO LEARN MORE

Eric Letsinger, Founder and President of Quantified Ventures, will be exploring how Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds could be used to scale your organization’s operations and enhance the important services you provide to your customers at the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville. Join us for Emerging Trends in Social Investing – Future Revenue Opportunities on Wednesday, August 31 from 2:45 – 4:00 p.m.

COMMON POLICY MYTHS DISPELLED THROUGH RECENTLY RELEASED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Dispelling Myths: Support Public Policy for Greater Impact and Sustainability is the result of a year-long research project funded by the Retirement Research Foundation aimed at increasing our network’s understanding of the opportunities and limitations that exist within states’ policy that guide the implementation of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program. The newly released Executive Summary aids in achieving just that by identifying and debunking the most commonly cited policy myths.

Thanks to your participation in various focus groups and surveys, we were able to not only identify common myths, but also understand why they were formed to begin with and identify the promising solutions to further increase our network’s knowledge of persistent policy and programmatic barriers and their ability to address these challenges.   

ACCESS THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HERE

EIGHT BUSINESS ACUMEN MINI-GRANTS OF $10,000 EACH AWARDED

 
Eight Mini-Grants of $10,000 each, offered by the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging (NRCNA), were officially awarded to cover consultant and other business expenses associated with forging partnerships with healthcare entities. Please join us in congratulating the following programs:

Online and in-person training, in addition to late-breaking reports and resources are available on the NRCNA’s site here. For more information, please contact the NRCNA at 703-548-5558 or resourcecenter@mealsonwheelsamerica.org. The NRCNA is hosted by Meals on Wheels America as part of a cooperative agreement with the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living. Visit www.nutritionandaging.org to learn more about the NRCNA and to access more valuable resources for the national aging network.

SAVE $6,000 ON 2016 CHEVY EXPRESS 2500 CARGO VANS NOW!

SO WHAT DO I GET WHEN I ADOPT THE BRAND?

Has your program been considering adopting the new national Meals on Wheels brand but still have some unanswered questions? Each month, we’ll answer your most commonly-asked questions about the Meals on Wheels brand to help you through your decision making!

 
Check out the Brand Resource Center to learn more. If you have a specific question you need answered that you don’t see there, email us at brand@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.