Are You Homebound? Do You Know Someone Who Is? We Can Help!

If you're homebound (or know someone who is) Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties can ensure proper nutrition and daily personal contact through our home meal delivery program.

We're the largest, most dependable provider of nutrition in the two-county area. Home-delivered meals are available for homebound individuals and supports their choice to remain or recuperate in the comfort of their own home.

Meals can be contracted on a short-term or long-term basis. Individuals recovering from illness or injury find the nutritional support provided by our meals to be an important part of their recuperative progress, and that it assists in an optimum recovery.

Be sure to visit our website at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/ to learn more, or call us at 330-832-7220 to find out how to start home meal delivery.

Meal Deliveries Cancelled Today

For the second time this month, Mother Nature has hit Stark and Wayne counties -- and all of Northeast Ohio -- with a severe winter storm. As a result, we have cancelled meal deliveries for today.

It's the first time in our history that we've had to cancel deliveries twice in the same year. However, the roads are too hazardous for our volunteers to be out driving.

If you have a loved one who normally receives their meal from us on Fridays, please check in with them to make sure they're doing okay and have heat, water, and other necessities.

Call for Volunteers In the Alliance, Wooster Areas

Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties is seeking additional volunteers to help deliver meals to homebound individuals in Wooster and the surrounding area.

“We currently have a number of openings for volunteer drivers in the Alliance and Wooster areas,” said Teresa Barry, CEO. “Often our volunteers are the only people our clients see during the day, so the volunteers deliver more than just a meal when they visit. They also provide peace of mind and a friendly smile to those who are alone.”

Each weekday, we deliver about 100 meals on five routes in the Alliance area, and 120 meals on six routes in the Wooster area. Volunteer drivers typically deliver meals one day a week, and routes takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes to complete. The agency provides training and mileage reimbursement to all volunteers.

For information on how to volunteer, call Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties at 1-800-466-8010, or visit their Web site at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/.

Photo courtesy of The Independent

CEO Comments On New Economic Realities for Nation's Seniors

On Friday, Jan. 14, a letter to the editor from CEO Teresa Barry was published in The Repository, the daily paper in Canton. We're posting it here because of the importance and relevance of the topic.

____________________

Seniors will need all the help they can get in coming years

Recent figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveal a shocking economic reality for seniors in our country.

A new formula that takes into account out-of-pocket medical expenses indicates that one in six people age 65 and older—16 percent—are living in poverty. Even Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits can’t offset the devastating financial impact being felt by older Americans.

This is a major issue that is only going to become more serious in the years ahead. Record numbers of people are about to enter their retirement years as the Baby Boomer generation ages. The strain on entitlement programs and our health care system, already great, will continue to snowball.

We must not look away while our parents and grandparents struggle with the new economic realities. There are many resources available to assist older Americans, particularly those who are disabled or homebound.

As a community, we need to be aware of the issues facing our seniors, and ready to lend a hand wherever possible. We should also raise these issues with our state and federal representatives, to insist that they provide the means for older Americans to continue to live with dignity.

TERESA L. BARRY, MASSILLON
CEO, MEALS ON WHEELS
OF STARK & WAYNE COUNTIES

____________________

The letter stirred interest in media circles; following its publication, Terri was invited on the "Golden Opportunities" television program in Cleveland to talk about the issues it addressed with host Armand Budish, who is also the minority leader in the Ohio House of Representatives.

MOW Featured at Kent Stark Student Leadership Seminar

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties was featured at a Student Leadership Academy seminar sponsored by Kent State Stark in North Canton, Ohio, on Feb. 9.

About 50 students from Kent Stark and from Stark State College attended the session, which featured speakers from three area agencies who talked about volunteer opportunities with their organizations. All students participating in the Academy are required to perform volunteer work during the spring semester.

Tom Delamater, public relations administrator for Meals On Wheels (at right in photo), commented to the group briefly about servant leadership. Tom was adviser to student leadership clubs at a university in Texas for several years, and complimented the Kent Stark students on their involvement with the Academy program. He then presented information about the agency and our volunteer opportunities.

Also pictured in the photo (from left) are Cherie Barth, Stark State student activities coordinator; Kristi Yerian, Kent Stark student activities coordinator, and Eric Smer of the Stark County Hunger Task Force. The Task Force and the United Way also presented information about volunteer opportunities with their organizations.

NewsChannel5's Report On Meals On Wheels and Our Faithful Volunteers

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties was in the news again on Thursday. Bob Seeley of NewsChannel5, the ABC television affiliate in Cleveland, filed this report for their Feb. 3 newscasts:

The Cleveland television stations provided exceptional coverage of this week's winter storm and its paralyzing effect on Stark County. We're grateful that Meals On Wheels was included in their reports on how our community dealt with the crisis.

Rubbermaid Donates Extra Coolers, Kitchen Utensils for Our Commissary

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties received a donation of kitchen items on Feb. 3 from the Newell Rubbermaid facility in Mogadore, Ohio.

Nora Logsdon, dietitian and program manager, had been referred to Lisa Lucci of Newell Rubbermaid, who was able to arrange a donation of five full-sized coolers and a box of rubber spatulas for use in our commissary in Massillon.

Sonny Sonnhalter, our commissary manager, picked up the items at the Newell Rubbermaid plant on Feb. 3. He is pictured here with Lisa as he prepared to load the donation onto one of our agency trucks. Our thanks to Newell Rubbermaid for their support of Meals On Wheels!

NewsChannel5 Visits for Story on How We're Helping Clients Cope With the Winter Storms

Bob Seeley, long-time videographer for NewsChannel5 in Cleveland, visited Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties this morning to tape segments for a report on how we're helping our clients cope with the effects of the winter storm that hit Northeast Ohio this week.

Seeley shot footage of meal preparation in our commissary, and also interviewed CEO Teresa Barry and long-time volunteer Margaret Fowler.

He also accompanied Margaret as she delivered meals to clients in the Massillon area.

The report is scheduled to be on tonight's evening newscasts.

NewsChannel5, with the call letters WEWS-TV, is the oldest in the Cleveland market, having signed on in December 1947. Seeley has been with the station for 45 years, having joined them in 1966.

19 Action News in Cleveland Includes MOWSW in Report on Weathering The Storm

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties will be featured in a story about how the Stark County community is dealing with the effects of the winter storm, airing this evening on 19 Action News in Cleveland.

Reporter Bill Safos visited the area to include coverage of a shelter being provided for residents without heat, at the Canton Civic Center, along with coverage about how Meals On Wheels forged ahead with deliveries despite the ominous conditions.

Safos visited our site at Mayfield Manor, a senior residential complex in Canton. He interviewed Tom Delamater, our public relations administrator, before heading out on a delivery route with Jennie and Emmanuel Nbobi, two of our volunteers.

He interviewed two of our clients as well, and did a stand-up for insertion in his report in a residential area of Massillon.

19 Action News is the newscast aired on WOIO-TV, Channel 19, the CBS affiliate for the Cleveland market. Bill's report is scheduled to air during tonight's 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts.

CEO Teresa Barry to Appear This Morning on WHBC's "Akron-Canton Connection"

Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, will be a guest on the "Akron-Canton Connection" radio program this morning, Feb. 2, on WHBC, 1480-AM in Canton.

Terri will be interviewed beginning at 9:45 a.m.

"Akron-Canton Connection" debuted on WHBC in September and focuses on organizations and individuals who "pay it forward" by assisting the community. Hosts Rick Mirenzi and Berry Carter feature positive stories designed to help and encourage listeners and those in need.

Past programs are available for listening on the "Akron-Canton Connection" section of the WHBC website.

Meal Deliveries CANCELLED for Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011

Due to the icy conditions on area roads and highways, Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties made the decision to cancel deliveries for Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011.

There will be no meal deliveries to any of our clients in the two-county area. All of our sites are closed.

Our volunteers not only deliver meals to our clients, but they're able to check in on them daily to make sure everything is fine. If you have a family member who receives our meals, we recommend that you check in on them to make sure they're doing OK. This is especially true if any power outages occur because of the freezing conditions.