Meals On Wheels Returns to the Canal Fulton Area

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties has a renewed presence in Canal Fulton and the surrounding area effective Monday, Feb. 1.

The agency returns to the community, delivering meals out of their location at St. John Lutheran Church on West Market Street. Vivian Heater is the site coordinator.

“We’re grateful to Pastor Nickodemus and the church council at St. John for providing facilities to support us in our mission,” said Teresa Barry, CEO.

Food is prepared weekday mornings at the agency’s commissary in Massillon. It is delivered via insulated trucks to 19 outlying sites for home delivery and congregate dining.

Volunteer drivers deliver the meals between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The agency can accommodate less frequent deliveries, including once-a-week service, according to an individual’s preference and need.

A number of individuals in the Canal Fulton area already receive daily meal deliveries, and the agency expects that number to grow.

“Many people don’t realize that they qualify for meal delivery,” said Barry. “Our meals are available to any homebound individual, regardless of age or income. They can be contracted on a short-term or long-term basis, and we can begin service within two working days of receiving a request.”

“Our social services team works with individuals to provide a personal assessment of their nutritional needs,” said Barry. “In addition to people who are permanently homebound, individuals recuperating from illness or injury find the nutritional support provided by our meals to be a key ingredient to their recovery.”

Regular, low sodium and diabetic meals are available. “Anyone in need of specialized diets will find our meals appropriate as a source of nutrition for their daily needs,” said Barry.

The agency hopes to recruit additional volunteers to help deliver meals in Canal Fulton. “Our volunteers typically drive once a week,” said Barry. “Our Canal Fulton route currently takes about 60 minutes to complete.”

For information on how to begin home meal delivery, or to volunteer, call Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties at 330-832-7220, or visit their Web site at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/.

Here to Help in Wayne County; We Have the Capacity to Serve More!

Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties is offering meal delivery to homebound individuals in Wayne County, with no waiting required.

“Many people in our area don’t realize that they qualify for meal delivery, or that our service is even available to them,” said Teresa Barry, CEO.

“The good news is, our meals are available to any homebound individual, regardless of age or income,” she said. “The meals can be contracted on a short-term or long-term basis, and we can begin service within two working days of receiving a request.”

Each meal meets one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowance for nutrition. Regular, low sodium and diabetic meals are available. “Anyone in need of specialized diets will find our meals appropriate as a source of nutrition for their daily needs,” said Barry.

Meals are delivered between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The agency can accommodate less frequent deliveries, including once-a-week service, according to an individual’s preference and need.

“Our social services team works with individuals to provide a personal assessment of their nutritional needs,” said Barry. “In addition to people who are permanently homebound, individuals recuperating from illness or injury find the nutritional support provided by our meals to be a key ingredient to their recovery.”

The agency can also help arrange for financial assistance for those who qualify. “No one should hesitate to contact us because of financial concerns,” said Barry. “There are programs available to assist those who can demonstrate financial need.”

For information on how to begin home meal delivery, call Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties at 330-832-7220, or visit their Web site at www.mow-starkwayne.org.

Winter Edition of Volunteer Bulletin is Published

We've published the latest Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties volunteer bulletin. Click on the image below to enlarge and read the Winter 2010 edition.

Hunger on the Rise in Ohio, New Study Reveals

The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) has released a groundbreaking study titled “Senior Hunger in the United States: Differences across States and Rural and Urban Areas.”

A follow-up to a previous landmark report on the causes and consequences of senior hunger in the country, the latest study examines the problem on a state-by-state level. It provides substantial evidence that the number of seniors in the U.S. facing the threat of hunger is growing at an alarming rate.

In Ohio, one out of every 20 seniors (persons age 60 and older) is at risk of hunger, placing the state 26th in the nation. Most alarming is the jump between 2001 and 2007, the dates covered by the study.

For the years 2001 to 2003, the rate of food insecurity (risk of hunger) among seniors in Ohio was 3.35 percent. By 2007, the rate had more than doubled, to 6.98 percent.

“It is troubling to learn that so many of our seniors are still going hungry,” said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and chairman of MOWAA. “Even more disturbing is the realization that the number increased so significantly over the past decade. We work to combat that on a daily basis at Meals On Wheels,” she said.

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties provides about 2,000 meals a day through home delivery and congregate dining sites in the two-county area.

In response to the problem of senior hunger, MOWAA has initiated a national movement to end senior hunger by 2020.

Organizations and individuals are encouraged to join the campaign by pledging support at www.mowaa.org/pledge. Participants can fulfill their pledge by volunteering with their local Meals On Wheels agency, making a financial contribution, or assisting with local fundraising efforts, among other activities.

For a summary of Ohio statistics: http://www.thenextmeal.org/statepdfs/ohio.pdf

For a brief summary of the study: http://www.mowaa.org/Document.Doc?id=195

For the full text of the study:
http://www.mowaa.org/Document.Doc?id=193

For the appendices to the study:
http://www.mowaa.org/Document.Doc?id=194

'Healthcare Heroes' from Aultman, AultCare Return to Assist MOWSW

For the fourth consecutive year, employees of Aultman Hospital and AultCare in Canton are volunteering to deliver meals during January as part of the “Healthcare Heroes for Nutrition” campaign, on behalf of Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

A total of 46 employees from the two health-care organizations volunteered this year. The employees work in teams of two and are filling open routes from Jan. 11 through 22 out of our site at Mayfield Manor Apartments on 11th Street in Canton.

“We are grateful for the assistance of Aultman and AultCare personnel,” said Jeff Davis, volunteer coordinator. “We always have need for volunteers during the winter months, so their involvement makes it possible for our clients to receive their daily meals as scheduled.”

The Aultman Health Foundation, Stark County's largest employer, is a not-for-profit health-care organization serving Stark and surrounding counties, and includes Aultman Hospital, the locally managed health-insurance provider AultCare, The Aultman Foundation and Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Innis Maggiore Contribution to Assist Outpatient Nutrition Program

Innis Maggiore, an advertising and public relations agency located in Canton, has donated $1,000 to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties to help launch an outpatient nutrition program.

The program will assist patients over 60 who have been discharged from hospitals and other health care facilities but are still recuperating or rehabilitating at home. Innis Maggiore's donation will enable Meals On Wheels to provide five-day meal packs for up to 100 discharged patients.

"This program is vital, because studies have shown that seniors who receive immediate nutritional support upon discharge are less likely to be readmitted in the first 30 days following a hospital stay," said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

In addition, patients served by such a short-term program often choose to request meal delivery on an ongoing basis. This results in a long-term benefit to those in the community who need it.

"This is an exciting and innovative program that will help people retain their independence and live with dignity," said Dick Maggiore, president and CEO of Innis Maggiore. "We commend Meals On Wheels and are pleased to provide support for their efforts."