STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WANT TO HELP YOU SERVE YOUR SENIORS
Your next community collaboration could be a partnership with a group of passionate high school and college students through a national initiative known as
The Campus Kitchens Project. This initiative aims to empower student volunteers in high schools and on university campuses to fight hunger in their communities. Students transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants and farmers markets into meals and deliver them to local agencies that serve those in need. Beyond providing meals, students also engage with their communities through garden initiatives and nutrition education.
GET STARTED NOW
The Campus Kitchens Project truly values its current partnerships and wants to create relationships with more Meals on Wheels programs across the country. We encourage you to start your own local partnership. Here are some helpful ways to begin:
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Visit The Campus Kitchens Project website to find a group in your community.
- Don’t see them listed on a campus near you? Feel free to contact them at info@campuskitchens.org to see if there is a group close to you.
OUR GREATEST MARCH FOR MEALS YET
We were thrilled to recognize more than 250 Member programs that took a stand to celebrate the seniors in their communities through our 13th annual March for Meals. We saw some of the most creative and engaging local volunteer opportunities, advocacy efforts and fundraisers. And, we awarded $370,000 to a total of 258 Member programs and two State Associations, thanks to the generosity of Subaru of America. Because of all of your hard work and creative ideas, identifying the top winners was a very tough decision.
Minuteman Senior Services took home the top award of $10,000 for its extensive awareness and fundraising activities in Bedford, MA.
“We have participated in March for Meals since the very first campaign and it has become a labor of love,” said Minuteman Senior Services Executive Director Joan Butler. “Meals on Wheels is often the first service a person is willing to accept in their home, and opens the door to other supports that help keep people independent. We are grateful to Meals on Wheels America for this award, which helps fill the gaps left by limited public funding for this valuable program.”
Check out the full announcement and list of 2015 March for Meals grantees
here.
NEW NESTLE PARTNERSHIP MEANS MAJOR SAVINGS FOR YOUR PROGRAM
Nestle Waters North America joins the long list of partner companies dedicated to significantly lowering your program’s expenses through our Meals on Wheels America Member Discount Program. Nestle offers a variety of ways to deliver savings to your program on hydration products for your seniors.
SAVE THROUGH OUR MEMBER DISCOUNT PROGRAM
You can access Nestle's exclusive savings on the products listed below by signing up for our
Group Purchasing Program with Premier.
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Five gallon water jugs
- Nestle Pure Life products
- Regional Spring Water
- Water Filtration Systems
Pricing quotes will be handled on an individual basis due to the variance of pricing by state.
EVEN YOUR SENIORS CAN SAVE
Your clients can also receive volume discount savings when they purchase Nestle products and have their orders delivered directly to their doors. If you’re interested in offering this savings to your seniors, simply contact our Business Services Manager Steven Skelton at
steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org. Steven will provide you with a card that they can use when purchasing Nestle products and instructions on how they can get started.
Start saving now! Contact Steven at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706-436-3999.
NEW RESEARCH WILL DEBUNK MYTHS IN STATE AGING POLICY
The challenging times for senior nutrition programs are further hampered by misinterpretations or policy barriers that sometimes exist among those implementing state nutrition programs. This confusion often prevents Members from securing additional funding, engaging in new business opportunities and improving overall services for seniors. That is why we are excited to announce the launch of a research and knowledge-sharing project funded by the Retirement Research Foundation that will aim to clarify misconceptions around state policy and surface real policy barriers that must be addressed.
The project is a year-long effort through which we hope to achieve the following:
- Help key stakeholders — Members, State Units on Aging (SUAs), and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) — better understand the limitations and opportunities of their state policies
- Find ways to help Members, SUAs and AAAs to work together more efficiently and effectively to serve our seniors
- Make a positive impact in state policy to support growth of Member programs
Given the changing landscape and quickly growing need for Meals on Wheels services, this research comes at a critical time. By debunking long-term myths, we hope to clear the path for you to successfully navigate state policy and ensure your program’s sustainability.
If you have any questions about this initiative, please reach out to Linda Netterville, Vice President of Program Development and Impact and Director, National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging at linda@mealsonwheelsmerica.org or 816-478-0927.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Did you know that we have an online discussion where Members just like you are actively collaborating with your peers on crucial topics? Contribute and learn about these hot topics by joining here.
APPLY NOW FOR THE 24TH ANNUAL CARES AWARD
The Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award is given each year to community agencies and health organizations that support people excluded from, or underserved by, the mainstream health delivery system. We believe that this is a great opportunity for those involved with Meals on Wheels organizations to make a strong case for their amazing work combatting senior hunger and isolation – and to be rewarded for it.
The winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize and five runners-up will split an additional $120,000. You can find out more about the criteria for entry and read about past Premier Cares Award winners here.
GET STARTED TODAY
It’s easy to apply — download the application and instructions here. The deadline is July 31, 2015. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR A MINI-GRANT!
Meals on Wheels programs just like yours have until
tomorrow, June 30 to apply for the National Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging's (NRCNA - formerly referred to as the NRC) Mini-Grant program. This opportunity is intended to prepare programs to more effectively operate in the competitive healthcare environment and to better position themselves for conversations with potential healthcare providers.
Eight competitive grants of $10,000 each are available to eligible programs. This funding will be used to cover consultant and other business expenses associated with implementing the project. Eligible applicants are Senior Nutrition Programs that currently receive funding from the Older Americans Act for Title III Part C - Nutrition Services or Title VI Grants for Native Americans to provide meals and other nutrition services to older adults in the community. For further details on eligibility and funding uses, please see the
Request for Applications.
GET STARTED NOW
Don’t miss your chance to earn a $10,000 mini-grant from the NRCNA! Just submit your application through the Association’s online grant system.
Grant recipients will be announced on Monday, July 20, 2015. Once awarded the grant, grantees are committed to the following goal: Making at least one contract or partnership, with an integrated care entity by August 31, 2016. For further information, please contact the National Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging at 703-548-5558 or resourcecenter@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
*The NRCNA is a collaboration between the Administration for Community Living and Meals on Wheels America. Visit www.nutritionandaging.org to learn more about the NRCNA and to access more valuable resources for the national aging network.
ANNOUNCING YOUR AD COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES
We want to extend a big thanks to all of you who volunteered to be part of the Ad Council Member Advisory Committee, which was created to support the development of the upcoming national Meals on Wheels Ad Council campaign. In fact, there were so many of you who asked to be part of the effort that we decided to form two councils. Both will provide input to help guide the campaign by giving advice and feedback at key stages of the campaign’s development. We are thrilled to have them on board and will keep you posted on the progress we all make together.
Check out the list of colleagues who will be providing a voice for the network here.
YWCA Bradford, PA
Queensland Meals On Wheels, Australia
Harris County Area Agency on Aging, TX
Oneida County Department on Aging, WI
Senior Center Jackson Hole, WY