Hi everyone,
My name is Marley Rave and I am the Assistant Vice President for Communications, Marketing, and Development for Meals On Wheels Association of America. Many people have heard the name “Meals On Wheels”, but not everyone knows exactly what we do. I can sum up what we do for you in one short sentence:
We provide the next meal “so no senior goes hungry.®”
Now, that doesn’t explain to you that we are the oldest and largest organization representing those who provide meal services to people in need. Or that there are over 5,000 Meals On Wheels programs across the country. Or that we have an army of roughly 2 million volunteers. But it does tell you the bare bones of what our Meals On Wheels programs do and what they work at tirelessly, day after day. They provide the next meal.
It may sound simple, but it is not an easy job, especially in this down economy. Right now the majority of our Meals On Wheels programs are seeing a drop in donations. They have lost volunteers. They do not have the funds they need to repair delivery vehicles or kitchen equipment. This has forced our programs to start waiting lists, those are seniors literally waiting for their meal. It has even forced some of our Meals On Wheels programs to shut down, because they can no longer afford to provide services to those in need. But when they shut down what happens to those seniors? How will they receive their next meal?
We are thankful and grateful for the Walmart Foundation. Walmart recognized that senior hunger is a serious issue and our Meals On Wheels programs need help. They stepped up to the plate last year by awarding us a $750,000 grant to end waiting lists. We were able to serve an additional 100,000 meals with their support.
The Walmart Foundation has stepped up to the plate, once again, to help us end senior hunger. At a press conference in Madison, WI yesterday, Walmart awarded our organization with a 2.2 million dollar grant to help our programs make an impact in their local communities. The funding will help them replace ovens that are now being held together with duct tape. It will help them repair delivery vehicles that have over 300,000 miles on them. Ultimately, the Walmart funding will help feed people and sustain the Meals On Wheels programs so desperately in need of help.
I will be updating you on the progress of the Walmart Impact grant program with news clips and pictures. I also will be sharing with you statistics from our latest research study on senior hunger, videos about outstanding volunteers, stories about the seniors we serve, and will give you a better idea of how we at Meals On Wheels are trying to end senior hunger. We hope you will join us…
Marley
www.mowaa.org