Spuddy Buddy Rolls Through Massillon; St. Mary Students Get Up-Close View

The Famous Idaho Potato Tour lived up to its billing this morning as the Idaho Potato Commission's giant potato rolled into our parking lot on board "Spuddy Buddy," the truck that has been traveling the nation's highways since April.

The tour pulled in at 10 a.m. Kaiti, Ellis and Paul (the driver) hopped out and began preparing for a visit by fifth and sixth grade students from St. Mary School in Massillon. Meanwhile, several visitors stopped by and took photos of the giant spud, specially constructed for the tour that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Idaho Potato Commission.

The school bus carrying the students arrived at 11 a.m. Tour staff began by asking questions to see what they really knew about potatoes and why they're so nutritious. Students who gave correct answers received Spuddy Buddy plush potato dolls as prizes. Afterward, Kaiti, Ellis and Paul answered the students' questions about potatoes and the tour.

The crew also made a presentation to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. On behalf of the Commission, Kaiti said that a month's worth of potatoes would be donated to the agency to be used in menu items for client meals. She made the presentation to Teresa Barry, our CEO.

Students posed for group photos with the potato before leaving at 11:30 to return to school. From Massillon, the tour headed to Pittsburgh, and from there on to Hartford, Conn.

Our thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for their support, and to the Famous Idaho Potato Tour for including us on their schedule!

The staff of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties

poses with the Famous Idaho Potato Tour truck

Our Friends From Key Bank 'Make a Difference' at Meals On Wheels

Once again this year, associates from Key Bank volunteered with Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties as part of the bank's annual "Neighbors Make The Difference" day

Every year Key focuses on community service projects during May, which the company has designated as "Key Community Month." In addition to the month-long focus, this year Key set aside May 24 for "Neighbors Make The Difference," encouraging associates to volunteer with local non-profit agencies.

 Our volunteer team arrived at 9 a.m. today and immediately went to work in our commissary, helping to pack meals both for today and Monday. It's a big help for us, because tomorrow (Friday) we'll be delivering both the regular meal and a sack meal to our clients, so that they have their meal on Monday. We'll be closed Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Having the extra help makes a big difference for us, and for our clients. We appreciate our friends from Key Bank for their spirit of service!

Banfield Continues Its Generous Support

The Banfield Charitable Trust recently continued its support of our pet food drive with a $375 grant to help us with storage costs associated with the food. We appreciate their generosity!

Each year we conduct our pet food drive in November and December, with collection locations throughout the area. The program has grown to be one of the largest in the country and required us to rent additional storage in the area to keep the food fresh and dry. Because of health department regulations, we cannot store large quantities of the pet food at our administrative center; it is adjacent to our commercial commissary, where our meals are prepared.

Even though our pet food drive takes place late in the year, we accept donations year-round. The food is then shared with our homebound clients who have pets. To make a donation, simply stop by our building at 2363 Nave Rd. S.E. in Massillon weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or call us at 330-832-7220.

Jackson High School Students Step Up to Serve!

Our thanks to students from Jackson High School who volunteered to serve at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on Friday, May 18.

Six students arrived at 9 a.m. and helped with some much needed landscaping projects around our building and on the surrounding property. The students were participating in an annual service project conducted by graduating seniors at the high school, to assist non-profit organizations in the community.

The students were here for five hours and did a lot of sprucing up for Spring. We appreciate their help and wish them well as they graduate and move on to new challenges ahead.

Radio Show to Spotlight 'Stark County Delivers' Program

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties will be in the spotlight this weekend on "Sunday Morning Magazine," a public affairs program broadcast locally on My101.7 FM in North Canton and Rock 106.9 WRQK-FM in Canton.

Tom Delamater, public relations administrator, and Dave Pilati, curriculum director for Plain Local Schools, will appear on the program to discuss Stark County Delivers, the volunteer recruitment program underway this month. Pilati is a member of the current class of Leadership Stark County, an initiative of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce that encourages community stewardship among area business and civic leaders.

Stark County Delivers is a campaign to recruit corporate volunteers to help with Meals On Wheels delivery routes. Delamater and Pilati were interviewed by John Amrhein, news director for the stations, in a segment taped earlier this week at the Clear Channel radio studios in North Canton.

The program will air Sunday, May 20, at 7 a.m. on both stations. It can also be heard on the stations' websites, at www.my1017.com or www.wrqk.com. Click the "Listen Live" button at the top of the page to hear the programming.

PHOTO: Dave Pilati (L) in the studio with John Amrhein.

Is America Failing Its Seniors? Report Card Cites Senior Hunger Epidemic

The number of seniors facing hunger in America nearly doubled to more than 8 million over the past decade, resulting in failing grades on the Senior Hunger Report Card, issued this month by the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation.

The report card examined the nation's progress in eight categories and assigned corresponding grades in each.

A grade of "F" was given in overall performance, as 8.3 million seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2010. That reflected a 78 percent increase over 2001, and a 34 percent increase since the start of the current economic recession in 2007.

The report card also gave an "F" in the areas of Economics, Women's Studies, and Ethics.

Grades were based on research and data published in “Senior Hunger in America 2010: An Annual Report,” which was prepared by Dr. James P. Ziliak of the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky and Dr. Craig Gundersen of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois.

The report estimated the threat of senior hunger on a state-by-state basis. Ohio has the 14th highest threat, with 15.78 percent of its seniors at risk.

“There is no question that we are failing our seniors, some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Enid  Borden, CEO of the foundation and president of the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). “The numbers spell out our failure with clarity, and at the same time they call us to action. No one in this, the richest nation on Earth, should face the threat of hunger, no one. And seniors, who have little power to change their circumstances, deserve our special attention.”

MOWAA and its member agencies, including Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, have established a goal of eliminating senior hunger in America by 2020. For information on how to help, call us at 330-832-7220.

The Famous Idaho Potato Tour Will Visit Us May 24!

Ever wanted to see a 12,000 pound potato? Then stop by Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on Thursday, May 24, when the Famous Idaho Potato Tour brings "the worlds' largest spud" to Massillon.

The Idaho Potato Commission, a national supporter of Meals On Wheels, is celebrating its 75th Anniversary by touring the country with the world's largest potato, displayed on a flatbed truck. It's an updated, larger than life version of the photo on the classic Idaho Potato postcard that made the rounds over the years.

The tour is criss-crossing the United States and will be in Ohio most of that week. "Spuddy Buddy," the name of the truck that is carrying the giant spud, will be at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on May 24. Our building is located at 2363 Nave Road Southeast in Massillon.

Visit the tour's website for facts and figures, plus photos and a video of how the super spud was built.

So stop by, and bring the kids -- you've got to see it to believe it! Take your picture with a one-of-a-kind slice of Americana, and celebrate Idaho Potatoes, Meals On Wheels, and our joint effort to fight hunger locally and across the country.

'Wheels for Meals' Car Raffle Tickets Available; Proceeds Will Support Meals On Wheels!

You? In a shiny new Ford Mustang convertible?

It could happen, if you're the winner of our "Wheels for Meals" car raffle, going on right now.

Tickets are $75 apiece, and the winner could claim either a three-year lease on a 2013 Ford Mustang or $10,000 in cash.

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. It's a great way to support a great cause -- and who knows? You might just win!

For more information, call us at 330-832-7220.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Winner must be 21 years of age, have a valid driver's license, insurance, and must qualify through Ford Motor Credit to claim the automobile lease. Winner need not be present at the drawing, which will be held at The Main Event dinner/auction on Nov. 9, 2012. A maximum of 500 tickets will be sold. If fewer than 250 tickets are sold, the raffle becomes a 50/50 drawing.

'Stark County Delivers' Campaign Seeks Corporate Teams to Volunteer for Meals On Wheels

We're excited that Leadership Stark County (LSC) is partnering with us this month to help recruit businesses and organizations to deliver meals for Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties!

Five members of the current LSC class are spearheading our "Stark County Delivers" campaign during the month of May, helping us spread the word about our corporate Adopt-a-Route program. 

Participating organizations select a route at one of our 20 sites and "adopt" that route for weekly deliveries. Employees sign up and deliver meals on a rotating basis, sharing the responsibilities.

Currently about a dozen organizations are involved, and we're hoping to double that number during the campaign.

It's especially important right now. Volunteers drive more than 60 routes every weekday, and currently there are a number of routes that do not have regular volunteer drivers during the week. The "Stark County Delivers" campaign is designed to address that need with both individual and corporate recruiting.

Most volunteers or volunteer teams serve once a week. Meals are delivered beginning at 11 a.m. weekdays, and most routes take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete.

For many of our clients, our volunteers are the only people they see during the day. It means a lot to receive a friendly greeting each day, and it provides peace of mind for them and their loved ones, knowing that someone is checking in on them each day.

To help spread the word about the campaign and recruit corporate volunteers, five members of the current class of Leadership Stark County comprise the committee that is spearheading the “Stark County Delivers” campaign. They are: Marcie Bragg, Goodwill Industries; Christina Burr, Aultman Hospital; Darla Brown, Gatehouse Media; Jill Dorsey, Alliance Community Hospital; and David Pilati, Plain Local Schools.

“We’re thrilled to be helping Meals On Wheels and excited about reaching out to the business community,” said Dorsey. “Delivering meals to the elderly and homebound is a perfect volunteer opportunity for a business that is looking to make a difference in our community.”

Companies or individuals interested in volunteering with Meals On Wheels should contact Linda Spielman at 330-832-7220.

The Massillon Rotary Club Adopts A Route!

Meal On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties welcomes the Massillon Rotary Club as our newest "Adopt-a-Route" participant! This morning the club began a regular schedule of delivering meals on a Massillon route every other Friday.

Richard Regula (pictured with Linda Spielman, our volunteer coordinator) was the first member to deliver on behalf of the Massillon club. Richard is director of market outreach at Mercy Medical Center in Canton.

Adopting a route is easy, and is a great way for your company or organization to help out in the community. You simply select a route at one of our locations nearest you, and then members of your organization or company sign up to deliver on a rotating basis. The more people who help, the easier it gets!

More important, you'll be making a difference in the lives of our homebound clients. Not only will you deliver food to those in need, but your team members may be the only people some of our clients see during the day. We provide more than a meal -- we offer companionship, compassion, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone is checking in on them during the day.

To become an Adopt-a-Route sponsor, contact Linda at 330-832-7220.