Agathon Kennel Club Adds a Holiday Touch to Our Pet Food Drive

The Agathon Kennel Club, which is based in Massillon, added a festive touch to our annual pet food drive by delivering 30 gift bags to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties for sharing with our clients who own pets.

Each bag contained dog or cat food in cans or pouches, along with toys and other treats. A holiday card for the client was included as well.

The gift bags were delivered to clients served by the 12 routes driven out of our administrative office building in Massillon.

The Agathon Kennel Club has members from several Ohio counties and meets on the fourth Thursday of every month at the PBS Animal Health Center, which is located less than a mile from our offices in Massillon. (PBS is a regular participant in our "Season of Suppers" pet food drive.) The kennel club maintains a Web site at: http://www.agathonkennelclub.com/.

Happy Holidays!

This has been quite a year for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. Even through the difficult economic times, we have been able to maintain our vital service to homebound individuals who need nutritious meals delivered to their door.

With gratitude to all those who lend a hand, we extend best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy holiday season, and a prosperous New Year!

College Carolers Brighten Holidays for MOWSW Clients

Some clients of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties were greeted with a touch of the holiday spirit on Dec. 18.

Students from the Stark County campus of Kent State University delivered meals to clients in a Massillon senior living complex and greeted them with some best-loved songs of the holiday season.

It's the second consecutive year that students from Kent State Stark participated in the program, according to Jeff Davis, volunteer coordinator.

The students also serenaded volunteers and staff at the agency's administrative office building in Massillon before leaving on their delivery route.

MOWSW Receives Major Pet Food Donation from Royal Canin, Banfield Charitable Trust

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties (MOWSW) received a major donation of dog and cat food on Dec. 16 courtesy of Royal Canin, a leading worldwide manufacturer of premium pet food products.

The donation was facilitated by the Banfield Charitable Trust, which promotes the annual "Season of Suppers" pet food drive conducted by MOWSW and other meal delivery programs nationwide.

Royal Canin is a store brand carried by Petsmart stores, which are affiliated with Banfield Pet Hospitals in the United States.

Eight pallets of food arrived by truck and were loaded into the agency's storage room. The donated food, along with other contributions from Stark and Wayne counties received this holiday season, will be distributed to Meals On Wheels clients and other individuals in need of food for their pets.

"We were excited when Banfield called to ask if we could accommodate the delivery," said Teresa Barry, CEO. "We immediately said yes, because we have planned to make pet food distribution a year-round program."

The agency's success with "Season of Suppers" over the past three years -- during which time more than four tons of food was collected -- helped facilitate the donation.

When Banfield originally learned of the availability of the pet food, they called the Meals On Wheels Association of America, who referred them to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

"This is a blessing for our clients and their pets," said Terri. "We look forward to sharing that blessing with others in the community who may be in need."

Waikem Subaru 'Shares the Love' with MOWSW

Waikem Subaru in Massillon is ringing in the holidays with Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties as part of Subaru’s national “Share the Love” campaign.

For two weeks in December, Waikem has loaned a 2009 Subaru Impreza to the agency for use delivering meals in the Massillon area. In addition, Waikem is providing information about the agency and its services to customers and other visitors to the dealership during the month.

"We're grateful to Waikem for their involvement in the campaign again this year, " said Teresa Barry, CEO. "Providing us with the use of a vehicle and sharing information about our agency with the community is a tremendous gesture of support for our mission."

Waikem's involvement with Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties also facilitated the awarding of an additional $1,000 grant to the agency as part of Subaru's support of Meals On Wheels nationally.

Customers are being encouraged to volunteer to deliver meals and/or consider making a donation to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. More information about both opportunities is available at the agency website.

MOWSW Execs Complete Nutrition Leadership Certification Program

Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, and Nora Logsdon, program manager and dietitian, received certificates of nutrition leadership from the University of Dayton’s Center for Leadership & Executive Development on Nov. 13.

They completed a series of courses sponsored by the center in collaboration with the university’s school of business administration and the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). Terri (front row, second from right in photo) and Nora (second row, middle) were among 15 participants from 10 states who completed the three-day, intensive training program. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

MOWAA works with the Center for Leadership & Executive Development to provide customized educational and professional development opportunities. The goal of MOWAA’s initiative is to equip senior nutrition programs with the leadership and resources necessary to fulfill the mission of ending senior hunger.

The center regularly offers a series of continuing education courses presented by leading faculty. Certificates of leadership are offered in the five key areas of senior nutrition program operation: leadership; nutrition; development and fundraising; volunteer management; and communications.

“There is hunger in America not because of a lack of food but because of a lack of leadership,” said Enid Borden, MOWAA president and CEO. “The center will provide our members with the skills they need today, and help them sustain their programs into the future.”

Annual Pet Food Drive is Underway!

At Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, we've launched our fourth annual “Season of Suppers” campaign, which solicits donations of pet food from area companies, organizations and individuals. The pet food is then provided to Meals on Wheels clients for their pets.

“The Season of Suppers campaign draws attention to the need of homebound individuals for food for their pets,” said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

“Many of our clients are on limited incomes and cannot afford enough food for their pets, which is why we conduct this food drive each year.”

Collection bins are available at:
-- Banfield, The Pet Hospital, inside Petsmart on Dressler Rd. in North Canton
-- Banfield, The Pet Hospital, inside Petsmart on Lincoln Way East in Massillon
-- PBS Animal Health, 2780 Richville Dr. S.E., Massillon
-- Rural King, 3541 Lincoln Way E., Wooster
-- Surbey Feed & Supply, 9 Canal St. W., Navarre
-- Tractor Supply, 4020 Erie Ave. S.W., Massillon
-- Both Thorne’s supermarkets locations in Alliance, on East State Street and Union Ave. South

Donations of dog or cat food may also be dropped off at the Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties office building, located at 2363 Nave St. S.E. in Massillon, Ohio, near The Legends golf course. Monetary donations, made out to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties can be mailed to the same address, zip code 44646. Please designate "Pet Food Drive" on your check.

Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties collected more than 8,000 pounds of pet food over the past three years. The campaign, which runs through Dec. 31, is sponsored in part by the Banfield Charitable Trust of Portland, Ore.