Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties Featured in The Suburbanite

The Suburbanite, a weekly paper serving southern Summit and northern Stark counties, profiled Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties in its June 15 edition.

The article, by reporter Ann Kagarise, also includes information about The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge, coming up Saturday, June 25, at Sluggers & Putters fun park in Canal Fulton.

"The fluctuating gas prices affect the bottom line costs, but the trucks still deliver the meals to the sites every day, going from Alliance to Wooster to Uniontown to Waynesburg," wrote Kagarise.

The article can be found on the Suburbanite website: "Meals on Wheels doing more in tough economy."

Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge Featured in Canton Repository

Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge received wonderful coverage in today's edition of The Repository, the daily paper in Canton, Ohio.

Gary Brown, editor of the paper's "Your Life" section, ran a story titled "Event to help raise funds for Meals on Wheels." The story provides the details of the event, which will take place on Saturday, June 25, at Sluggers & Putters fun park in Canal Fulton. The morning will feature a corporate challenge, with teams from area sponsoring companies competing in good-natured, fun events, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The park will be open to the public from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Admission during that time will be just $10 per person, for unlimited access to all park activities -- miniature golf, go karts, bumper boats, the Monkey Jump, bumper cars, the batting cages, the rock climbing wall, and the golf driving range. All proceeds will benefit Meals On Wheels.

The article details how Rick Mirenzi and Berry Carter, hosts of "The Akron-Canton Connection" on WHBC-AM in Canton, had Meals On Wheels CEO Teresa Barry on their program.

"We didn't realize that Meals on Wheels reaches 2,000 people a day," the article quotes Mirenzi as saying. "And she told us what a difficult time volunteers were having when gas prices started to spike."

From that, the idea for the Fun Fest was born. Click on the image to the left to see the clipping of the Repository story.

For more information on the Fun Fest, see "Enjoy Sluggers & Putters Fun Park for Just $10 and Support Meals On Wheels, Saturday, June 25!" on our agency blog, or call us at 330-832-7220.

Enjoy Sluggers & Putters Fun Park for Just $10 and Support Meals On Wheels, Saturday, June 25!

An afternoon of family fun at Sluggers & Putters in Canal Fulton, all for just $10 a person?

Absolutely!

Bring your family to The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest on Saturday, June 25, from 12 noon to 6 p.m. and enjoy unlimited access to the rides and activities at Sluggers & Putters, all for just 10 bucks!

Play miniature golf. Play again. And again, if you want to.

Enjoy the bumper cars, batting cages, and driving range. As much as you want, as many times as you want.

Try the rock climbing wall, or strap yourself in for the Monkey Jump. Test your skill on the bumper boats, or the go cart raceway. Go back and do it again.

It's all just $10 a person! And it's all for a good cause, as proceeds will go to Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

The park's concession stand will be open. So will the game arcade, where you can cool off and play a few games while you rev up for another shot at the outdoor attractions. And Auntie Em's ice cream stand is at the north end of the park.

What a day for family fun -- and for helping our homebound neighbors receive nutritious meals from Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties.

Come one, come all! See you at Sluggers & Putters on Saturday, June 25, from 12 noon to 6 p.m.

Don't miss it!

(You can help spread the word! Click on the flier image below to "Save As" onto your computer, and then email to friends and coworkers.)

Story of Fallen Veteran, Meals On Wheels Volunteer, Gains National Attention

All of us at Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties were saddened to learn of the passing of James Catron, a volunteer at our Brewster site. Jim, a decorated Korean War veteran, died on Memorial Day while attempting to replace the U.S. Flag on the TV tower outside of his home in Richville, Ohio.

Jim had used a safety belt to tie himself to the tower as he worked on replacing the flag. Paramedics lowered him to the ground, and it was later determined that he had died of natural causes.

In a touching show of respect, local firefighters later returned to the Catron home to replace the flag. "It was Memorial Day, and he was trying to be patriotic," firefighter Larry Sedlock told a local reporter. "It was the only thing we could do to help out."

The story first appeared in The Independent in Massillon, Ohio, and then was picked up nationally by FoxNews.com and other outlets via an Associated Press report.

Jim, 83, had been a volunteer with Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties for 15 years.

"Jim was very kind-hearted and was the kind of person who would do anything for anybody," said Linda Spielman, volunteer coordinator for Meals On Wheels.

"Not only did he volunteer with us, but he was a family friend going back well over 40 years," said Tom Delamater, public relations administrator for the agency. "He was a kind and gentle soul and will be missed."

We are grateful for his service to Meals On Wheels, and extend our condolences to the Catron family.

The story in The Independent: "Perry veteran dies while changing flag"

The story on FoxNews.com: "Korean War Veteran Dies While Replacing Flag at Ohio Home on Memorial Day"

Television report from WKYC-Ch 3 in Cleveland: "War veteran dies replacing flag"

MOWSW Staff Member Receives Community Service Award from Masons

Sally Fusek, coordinator of our site in Shreve, just south of Wooster in Wayne County, was recently awarded the Grand Master of Masons of Ohio Community Service Award for the 20th Masonic District.

Nominated by the Brethren of Garfield Lodge No. 528 in Shreve, Sally was praised by Shreve Mayor Jacki Chamberlain as the community's "go-to person."

"I don't know what I, as mayor, or the village would do without her," Chamberlain told a reporter from The Daily Record in Wooster. "She takes care of so many concerns or problems that would usually fall through the cracks. We are blessed to have her watching over our village."

We salute Sally, not only for her dedication to Meals On Wheels, but also her example of service in her community.

Read more in the article "Shreve resident receives honor from Masons," published in the May 23 edition of The Daily Record.

Italiano Patty w/Alfredo...Swiss Steak...and Hungarian Pork Chops? Just Another Month of Delicious Cuisine with An International Flair!

If you thought Meals On Wheels delivered a sandwich and an apple...think again! Our monthly menus feature delicious entrees prepared fresh daily in our commissary, and delivered with care to our clients' doors by our friendly, dedicated volunteers. This month's menu includes mouth-watering meals that always meet 1/3 the daily recommended allowance for nutrition. Click on the menu below to see a larger image. If you're interested in home delivery, call us at 330-832-7220!

Your Team Can Team Up to Help Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties at Our Inaugural Fun Fest!

Ropes courses? Role playing? Group hugs?

Those are all forms of team building that you could use to improve employee morale and build cooperation and teamwork at your company.

Or, you could enter a team of five in the Corporate Challenge events at The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge, Saturday, June 25, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Sluggers & Putters Fun Park in Canal Fulton!

For an entry fee of $250, you can enter your company's team in a good-spirited, fun round of competitive events, including miniature golf, go cart races, the rock climbing wall, bumper boat basketball, and a closest-to-the-pin contest on the golf driving range.

• Benefit #1 to you: You can reward some of your staff and provide them with a fun activity that will strengthen their bond inside and outside the office.

• Benefit #2 to you: The satisfaction of helping Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties with our mission of providing meals to our homebound neighbors who are nutritionally at-risk -- and the pride your employees can take in knowing that you are making a difference in the community.

The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest Challenge will be an all-day event on June 25 that is designed to raise funds for, and awareness about, the agency and the very real -- and urgent -- needs of our homebound neighbors. In addition to the corporate events in the morning, we will open the park to the public from 12 noon to 6 p.m. that day at a discounted admission price of just $10 for unlimited access to the park's activities! It's the bargain of the year, and all proceeds from the day will benefit Meals On Wheels.

Why not think out of the box and do something different to reward employees and build morale? Sponsor a team at The Meals On Wheels Fun Fest and help make a difference for our homebound neighbors in Stark & Wayne Counties!

For more information contact Tom Delamater at 330-832-7220 or by email at delamater@mow-starkwayne.org.