MOWSW Receives 'March for Meals' Grant Award

Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties has been awarded a $1,000 grant by the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) in response to the agency's participation in the 2009 March for Meals/Mayors for Meals campaign.

Member agencies were selected for grant awards based on their participation and initiative in the month-long program. This year we continued our tradition of working with The Timken Company, a global manufacturer of bearings and other steel products based in Canton, to recruit volunteers during the month of March. A total of 71 Timken employees volunteered to help during the campaign, a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

The "Mayors for Meals" portion of the campaign involved agencies recruiting mayors and other public officials from their communities to deliver meals on a designated day. This year it was Wednesday, March 18. Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties had 11 mayors and other officials from neighboring communities participate. A pre-delivery breakfast was provided for those participating.

Extensive media coverage was provided this year by six different media outlets in Stark and Wayne Counties.

Monetary awards to local agencies around the country were made possible through MOWAA's partnership with The Harrah's Foundation, the prime national sponsor for the March for Meals/Mayors for Meals campaign.

Regional Magazine Features MOWSW

Recently Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties was featured in a regional magazine that focuses on Canton and Stark County.

About magazine profiled our agency in their monthly "Charity Spotlight" section. It's the second time in recent months that we've been highlighted by their editors. Teresa Barry, our CEO, was the subject of a profile in their December 2008 issue.

About features articles, photo essays, event calendars and more, placing their focus entirely on the Stark County region. It is available on newsstands and by subscription. A selected number of articles and features can be found on their web site, http://www.aboutstark.com/.

Click on the images below to read the article, or read it online at: http://www.aboutstark.com/charity-spotlight/meals-wheels.

Check Out Meals On Wheels on Bravo-TV's 'Top Chef Masters'

The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) will be highlighted on “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo Television on Wednesday, July 20, at 10 p.m. EST.

Chef Michael Waxman will be competing on MOWAA’s behalf. Waxman is chef and owner of Barbuto in Manhattan’s West Village, and author of “A Great American Cook,” published in 2007 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

“We are grateful that Chef Waxman has designated MOWAA as his charity of choice and excited that we will be a part of his appearance on ‘Top Chef Masters,’” said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and chairman of the board of MOWAA.

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties is the only meal delivery program in the two-county region that is affiliated with MOWAA.

New Bulletin Keeps Volunteers Connected

To help keep our volunteers better informed and connected to what's going on at Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties, we launched a new Volunteer Bulletin. The bulletin is a convenient size (5-1/2" x 8-1/2") and is packed with information about the agency and about policies and procedures that affect our volunteers.

Meals On Wheels of Stark and Wayne Counties is blessed to have more than 300 regular volunteers, and about 400 when all of our part-time and substitute drivers are included. With that kind of volunteer team, it's essential to keep the lines of communication open.

The bulletin is duplicated at the administrative office and distributed via our 21 nutrition sites. Site coordinators insert a copy into each route book on a daily basis for one week, and additional copies are provided to each site for pickup by part-time and substitute drivers when they are on duty.

Bulletins will be produced periodically, but not less than four times a year. Click on the thumbnail image above to read the first issue.

'Heroes Against Hunger' Returns for Eighth Year

Area safety forces are once again donating their time to help deliver meals during the July and August as part of the annual "Heroes Against Hunger" campaign for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

"This has been a popular and successful annual campaign," said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. 'Our local 'heroes' – the dedicated men and women of area police and fire departments – have a chance to meet the people they protect and serve in a non-threatening, one-on-one situation. The clients enjoy it as much as the officers and firefighters do, and we're grateful to the participating departments for taking time out of their schedules to assist us."

Area heroes participating from the two counties include: the Stark County Sheriff's Department; the Alliance, Canal Fulton, Canton, Perry Township and Plain Township fire departments; and the Canton, Doylestown, Jackson Township, Louisville, Perry Township and Wooster police departments.

Officers and firefighters from participating departments will deliver meals from the Meals On Wheels sites that serve their respective communities in the two-county area.

MOWSW Receives 'Best of Massillon' Recognition

Meals On Wheels Of Stark and Wayne Counties has been selected for the 2009 "Best of Massillon" award in the Meal Delivery Program category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.