Join Us As Avalon Foodservice Presents 'The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge'

Don't miss this fun-filled event designed to raise awareness and funds for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties!

On Saturday, June 25, the inaugural Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge, presented by Avalon Foodservice, Inc., will take place at Sluggers & Putters Wild World of Fun theme park in Canal Fulton.

Beginning at 8:30 a.m., corporate teams will participate in good-natured, spirited competition in such events as miniature golf, rock climbing, the stock car challenge, volleyball, and bumper boat basketball. Afterward, all participants will meet under the park pavilion for a picnic-style lunch and the presentation of awards. Entry fee for corporate teams is $250, with all proceeds benefiting Meals On Wheels. For complete details about the team competition, see our article "Your Team Can Team Up to Help Meals On wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties at Our Inaugural Fun Fest."

At 12 noon, the park will be open to the public until 6 a.m. UPDATE: admission for the day is just $10! Guests will be able to enjoy unlimited access to the various rides and attractions at Sluggers & Putters-- as much as you want, for as long as you want, from 12 noon to 6 p.m. (Note: The park's normal age and height restrictions will apply to rides).

Avalon Foodservice, Inc., based in Canal Fulton, is the prime event sponsor for the day. Additional sponsorship levels are available, for the entire day, individual activities, and more. Call 330-832-7220 for more information or click on the brochure images at the bottom of this article. You'll get great exposure throughout the day and make a difference for the homebound clients of Meals On Wheels!

We also want to acknowledge Diebold,

Inc., for their generous sponsorship of our Volunteer Appreciation Day activities on the day of the event.

Remember to tune in to The Akron-Canton Connection radio program every Wednesday at 9:10 a.m. on NewsTalk 1480 WHBC in Canton, with hosts Rick Mirenzi and Berry Carter (pictured). They're helping promote the event and will provide weekly updates along the way.

To learn more about Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, visit our website at http://www.mow-starkwayne.org/.

We hope you'll make plans to join us -- and, most important, help us as we provide more than 2,000 meals to the homebound and elderly every day -- by participating in The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge, presented by Avalon Foodservice, Inc., on Saturday, June 25!

Companies/Organizations: Click on the images below for complete information about the event, including details of sponsorship opportunities.

For a quick overview of the scope of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, watch this brief video (under 2 minutes):

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties is One of 500 Finalists for Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good Program

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties is proud to announce we’ve been selected as a finalist in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. Now we need your support!

Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public. A total of 500 finalists were selected based on their application as reviewed by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility.

As a finalist, we are vying for the opportunity to win a new Toyota vehicle to help expand our reach and mission within the community. Each finalist has been assigned a designated voting day on which people can vote for us online. Our designated voting day (along with four other finalists) is Saturday, July 16, 2011. On that day, you'll be able to vote for us at www.facebook.com/toyota.

Please continue to watch for future posts, and help spread the word!

Vote for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on July 16 in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program.

Fishers Shoppers: It's the Final Weekend!

If you've signed up for the Fishers Foods Rewards Card program and have designated Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties as your charity of choice, be sure to shop this weekend and use your Rewards Card. It's the final weekend for the Community Rewards program, through which Fishers is designating a portion of shoppers' receipt totals to area charities.

If you haven't signed up for a Rewards Card, or you have one but haven't designated a charity of choice, you can do so at the Fishers website, http://www.fishersfoods.com/, or by calling 1-888-866-9186.

Thanks again for your support of Meals On Wheels! The Fishers Community Rewards Program runs through Sunday, April 17.

Acknowledging Our Dedicated Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties gratefully acknowledges the dedicated service of our volunteers, in honor of National Volunteer Week, April 10-16.

With more than 60 routes to cover daily, we depend on a volunteer staff that numbers well over 300. Included in that are people of various ages who volunteer on a regular basis, substitute drivers who help us when there's an immediate need, and corporate volunteer teams, who perform a valuable community service by delivering to clients near to their office or factory location.

Our volunteers not only deliver meals, they provide peace of mind for our clients and their loved ones by providing that daily check to make sure everyone, and everything, is OK. Often, our volunteers are the only people our clients see during the day.

On behalf of all of us at Meals On Wheels, we offer a big thank you to our volunteers for making a difference in the lives of our homebound neighbors.

Diebold Foundation Provides Support for Meals On Wheels

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties has received a grant from the Diebold Foundation to purchase equipment for our commissary in Massillon.

The foundation awarded our agency the grant to purchase a number of items that for our commissary that will enable us to better prepare meals for the special needs of many of our clients.

"We accommodate specialized diets for those who require them, such as mechanical soft diets, liquid diets, pureed meals, and more," said Teresa Barry, CEO. "We are grateful to the Diebold Foundation for their timely support."

The Diebold Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Diebold, Inc., a North Canton, Ohio-based provider of self-service and security delivery systems.

Massillon Independent Feature Puts the Spotlight on Meals On Wheels

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties was in the spotlight in a major news feature published Wednesday by the Massillon Independent.

Under the headline "Meals on Wheels keeps rolling," reporter Flo Lynn provides background and news of the agency based on an interview with Nora Logsdon, our program manager and dietitian.

Meals On Wheels "serves more than 2,000 meals a day, five days a week to shut-ins and clients of congregate centers," Lynn writes. She describes our commissary as a facilty "where meals are prepared and delivered regardless of weather conditions."

Click here to read the entire story on the Independent web site.

Spring Is In The Air -- and Sliced Ham, Wedding Soup, Chicken Baked Steak and Turkey & Dumplings Are In The Works For Our Clients!

The April menu is out, and it features another great variety of delicious, nutritious food.

Remember, all of our meals are planned by Nora Logsdon, our program manager and dietitian, and meet 1/3 the RDA for nutrition. Food is prepared fresh daily in our commercial commissary and delivered hot and ready to eat by our volunteer drivers.

To see the menu, click on the image below or visit http://mow-starkwayne.org/menu.aspx.