Teachers Make the Grade As Summer Volunteers

Once again this year, Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties welcomes a number of teachers from area schools who are volunteering as drivers during the summer.

Stepping up to deliver meals to homebound residents of Stark and Wayne counties are 20 teachers, from 12 different schools in the region. That's a slight increase over last year. The teachers are scheduled to deliver a total of 104 routes over the summer.

The efforts of these educators is greatly appreciated, because many of our volunteers take time off for vacations during the summer months. The teachers' willingness to serve helps us cover those routes and more. We're grateful for their dedication and involvement.

Appreciation, Training Highlight Spring Volunteer Meetings

To stay connected with our volunteers, this Spring Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties scheduled a series of eight Volunteer Meetings at several of the agency's 20 locations in the two-county area. The first meeting was on April 21 in Alliance, and the final session was June 9 at our administrative office building in Massillon.

Mary Marshall, volunteer coordinator, conducted the sessions, which averaged about 20 attendees per site -- for a total attendance of almost 160 volunteers.

Mary provided an update of recent news and events at the agency. It's easy for volunteers to overlook the scope of what they as a group accomplish -- particularly those who assist at our outside locations. When they hear about our full-sized, commercial commissary at the administrative office building, plus the number of meals prepared each day and the number of delivery routes that are covered, it helps them better identify with the size and scope of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

Mary also covered important policies and procedures that all volunteers must follow. Volunteers had the opportunity to ask questions and clarify what to do when various circumstances arise.

Lunch was provided at all the meetings courtesy of the CiCi's Pizza restaurants in the area. CiCi's has been a great friend of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, and we appreciate their support. Several door prizes, donated by area companies, were awarded at the conclusion of each meeting.

NE Ohio Marketing Pros Brainstorm for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties

During April and May, Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties invited a number of communications and marketing professionals in the area to participate in two strategic brainstorming sessions at our administrative office building in Massillon, Ohio.

Ten marketing pros from the region attended a luncheon meeting on Thursday, April 2. Present were: Mike Boyd, co-owner of Creative Source in Jackson Township; Brian Bradway, owner of Bradway Creative in Alliance; Brian Brinkman, owner of OnTheBrink Creative in Canton; Leslee Dennis, corporate communications assistant at Aultman Health Foundation in Canton; Bob Isenberg, creative director at WRL Advertising in Jackson Township; Aron Kitzmiller, marketing manager at Westfield Belden Village in Jackson Township; Cheryl Molnar, art director at WRL Advertising; Jeff Semple, president of NexGen Sales & Consulting in Canton; Suzie Thomas, director of university relations at Malone University in Canton; and Keeven White, CEO of WhiteSpace Creative in Akron.

CEO Teresa Barry opened the meeting with an overview of the agency and the challenges being faced by meals programs across the country, particularly in the area of attracting and retaining clients. PR Administrator Tom Delamater then led the group through a wide-open discussion of marketing strategies that could be employed by Meals On Wheels, with a focus on keeping costs as low as possible due to current budget constraints.

A comprehensive list of ideas and topics was compiled and distributed by email after the meeting, and participants gave further input based on the list. A follow up breakfast meeting took place on Wednesday, May 27 to review the material and establish some tactics for our staff to use in marketing the agency and its services.

One suggestion was to take advantage of social networking. In addition to our own blog, we have established a presence on Facebook and Twitter, and will begin producing brief videos and posting them on YouTube. There were several other valuable recommendations made that we intend to implement in the weeks and months ahead.

We’re grateful that so many skilled PR and advertising professionals were willing to donate their time to help us as we chart a course for the future -- particularly in these difficult economic times.

Area Foundations Show Their Support

Recently Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties received three sizeable grants that, when combined, cover the cost of a new commercial dishwasher for the agency.

We were pleased to receive grants of $20,000 from the Austin-Bailey Health & Wellness Foundation of Canton, $15,000 from the Dominion Foundation of Cleveland, and $10,000 from The Timken Foundation of Canton. The $45,000 total will cover the cost of the dishwasher, which will be ordered this summer and operational by fall.

Our commissary staff prepares as many as 2,000 meals each weekday. Those meals are driven by truck to our 20 locations. From there, volunteers deliver meals to our clients via 64 different routes, while other meals are served to seniors who participate in our congregate dining programs at 14 of the locations.

Our current dishwasher is 12 years old, two years older than its 10-year recommended life span. So it was time to purchase a new one. With the current status of the economy, we did not have the funds for such an expenditure. That is why we are grateful for the support of the Austin-Bailey, Dominion and Timken foundations. Their assistance will literally enable us to remain open and operational, and to continue our vital work in the community.