Thanks to Our Garden Partners

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties hosted a luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to thank the partnering organizations who made the garden project at the Stark County Jail a reality this past summer.

The garden, which was planted and cultivated by inmates at the jail, produced 60 pounds of tomatoes, 400 pounds of zucchini, 300 pounds of squash and 60 pounds of peppers, as well as a sampling of radishes. All of the produce was used in salads and other dishes that were incorporated into the agency's menu.

The group toured the agency's commissary before lunch was served in the conference room.

Attending were: Maureen Austin and Rudy Moyer of the Ohio State University Extension Office in Massillon; Nick Kennedy of the Stark County Farm Bureau; Mark Henderson, Mike McDonald, Darin Baad, Dennis Snyder and Laura Stewart-Johnson of the Stark County Sheriff's Office; Bill Lilley of the Akron Beacon Journal; and Teresa Barry, Nora Logsdon and Tom Delamater of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

Volunteer Bulletin - Hot Off the Press!

Issue Number 2 of our volunteer bulletin has been printed and is in the process of being distributed to our volunteers at all nutrition sites in Stark and Wayne Counties. The bulletin contains quick hits of useful information. This issue also introduces a new incentive program to encourage current volunteers to recruit additional volunteers to help us. Click on the image to see a larger version.

MOWSW at National Conference

Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties, and Nora Logsdon, program manager and dietitian, attended the national conference of the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) Sept. 1 through 4 in San Diego, Calif. Terri (left), who is also the current chairman of MOWAA, spoke to the assembled group on a number of occasions and chaired a meeting of the board during the conference.

Teri is shown below with MOWAA President & CEO Enid Borden as they present new charter certificates to Darlene Ike of Meals On Wheels of Chemung County, N.Y. (left photo) and Arnetta Macklin of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association of Memphis, Tennessee (right photo).

Volunteers Step Up on United Way Day of Caring

Every year, the United Way of Stark County conducts the Day of Caring, through which volunteers from area companies help out at member agencies. This year, 91 volunteers from 11 area companies helped Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on Thursday, Sept. 17. This remarkable turnout enabled us to fill 47 routes from our nutrition sites in Stark County.

Volunteers from Combi Packaging in Canton, who helped prepare meals from our commissary and then went out on deliveries from our administrative office, are pictured here. In addition to Combi, other companies who assisted this year were: Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty; The Health Plan - Hometown Region; Atkinson Feucht Hare Funeral Home; Smith, Barta & Co.; J.C. Penney; Huntington Bank; Poly One; Grove Appliance; The Timken Company; and The Repository.

After the morning deliveries, most volunteers returned to our office building in Massillon for a lunch prepared by our commissary staff. We appreciate the assistance provided by all of the corporate volunteers who helped Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on the 2009 United Way Day of Caring.

New Dishwasher Is In!

Our new commercial dishwasher arrived last week and is now installed. The former unit had been in use for more than 12 years, two years longer than its expected operating life. With 2,000 meals being delivered daily from our administrative office and outlying sites, the dishwasher is critical to our operations. Thanks again to the Austin-Bailey Health & Wellness Foundation, The Timken Foundation and The Dominion Foundation for their support, which made the purchase of the new dishwasher possible.

Kent State Stark Students Lend a Hand

Fourteen freshman students from Kent State Stark showed up bright and early at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties on Friday, Aug. 14, ready to lend a hand. Led by Marisa Naftzger, assistant director for first-year experience at Kent Stark, the students participated in a service-learning project designed to involve them in the community.

Some of the students worked in the commissary to help prepare meals for that day's deliveries. Others worked outside, weeding the lawn and flower beds and washing the windows on the administrative office building. Later in the morning, some of the students who have their own cars handled meal delivery routes as well.

An added side benefit of the students' visit, according to Marisa, was the opportunity to get to know one another by working together on the service project.

Kent State Stark, located in Jackson Township, is the largest regional campus of Kent State University, serving 10,000 students annually (5,300 in academic coursework and 4,700 in professional development courses). Fall classes at the campus begin Aug. 31.

Volunteer's Efforts Bring Grant from AEP

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties has been awarded a $150 grant from American Electric Power (AEP) in honor of AEP retiree Kurt Nestel’s volunteer service with the agency.

Nestel drives a delivery route in Louisville once a month and substitutes for other drivers as needed.

AEP’s “Connects” program recognizes the commitment of AEP employees and retirees to their communities and supports causes that are important to them, according the Michael G. Morris, AEP’s chairman, president and CEO. “The grants made by this program in the names of AEP volunteers will help schools and nonprofit organizations meet the challenges of fulfilling important human needs,” said Morris.

“We’re grateful that AEP supports the volunteer service of its employees and retirees in this way,” said Teresa Barry, CEO of Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties. “Kurt and all of our volunteers make it possible for us to fulfill our mission, and we appreciate their service.”