RECOGNIZING A MEALS ON WHEELS LEADER COMMITTED TO COMBATTING SENIOR ISOLATION AND HUNGER AMID THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND WELL INTO THE FUTURE
Arlington, VA – August 31, 2021 – Meals on Wheels America today announced Ashley McCumber, CEO and Executive Director of Meals on Wheels San Francisco in San Francisco, CA, as the recipient of the fourth annual Sister Alice Marie Quinn Award. This award was established to celebrate the life and contributions of one of the Meals on Wheels network’s most respected and influential leaders of all time. A registered dietician, Sister Alice Marie – affectionately known as SAM – founded St. Vincent Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles, CA, in 1977, and through her leadership and spirit, left an indelible mark on the national Meals on Wheels community.
Each year, this award honors a current leader of a local Meals on Wheels program who embodies Sister Alice Marie’s legacy through compassion, dedication and contribution, and who works to unite and advance the nationwide Meals on Wheels movement. A field of many worthy nominees was narrowed before the Meals on Wheels America Board of Directors voted on the final selection. They sought to honor a leader who has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership amid the current climate – someone who has been able to provide direction in the face of incredible challenges and bring together staff, volunteers, donors and supporters to provide critical nourishment, social connection and peace of mind to seniors in their community.
“Ashley has long been committed to using his voice and position to advocate for the older adults of San Francisco, across the state and nation at-large, a dedication that we’ve surely seen on full display throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his visionary leadership that so well reflects Sister Alice Marie Quinn’s spirit, Meals on Wheels San Francisco was able to deliver an astounding 2.4 million meals to people of all ages in need – something that had never before been achieved in the program’s 50-year history,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America. “Ashley has shepherded significant growth at his program during his tenure, changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of older San Franciscans, and we are truly grateful to have the space and means to honor him here today.”
“I am humbled to receive an award in the name of Sister Alice Marie. As SAM did throughout her life of service, the Meals on Wheels network and its leaders have stepped up for seniors during the pandemic in ways many of us did not think possible. We have delivered with creative solutions, a can-do attitude, compassion and fortitude,” said McCumber. “To be selected for the SAM award, in this time of heroes, when so many are equally deserving, is a true honor.”
The 2021 Sister Alice Marie Quinn Award was presented during Meals on Wheels America’s Virtual Conference on Tuesday, August 31. This year’s convening was spread over four separate days throughout the month of August and brought together more than 800 senior nutrition leaders, staff and supporters representing over 350 local, community-based Meals on Wheels programs from across the country.
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ABOUT ASHLEY MCCUMBER, CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEALS ON WHEELS SAN FRANCISCO
As CEO and Executive Director of Meals on Wheels San Francisco, now in its 50th year of operations in 2020, Ashley has led a team to increase yearly meal production capacity from 527,000 meals in 2007 to more than 2.4 million meals today, delivered to the homes of more than 5,000 homebound seniors and adults with disabilities living in San Francisco. In addition, he oversees the organization to ensure that older San Franciscans who receive Meals on Wheels receive the supports they need to live independently and with dignity in their own homes. Ashley has served as Chair of the Board for Meals on Wheels America and has over 30 years of nonprofit and community leadership under his belt, applying his expertise to advance public policy, community partnerships and fundraising to meet the growing needs of vulnerable communities.
ABOUT SISTER ALICE MARIE QUINN, FOUNDER OF ST. VINCENT MEALS ON WHEELS
Sister Alice Marie Quinn, D.C., the Founder and Executive Director of St. Vincent Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles, CA and a former Meals on Wheels America Board Chair, passed away in June of 2017. Today, the program has grown to serve LA’s most vulnerable older adults and provide meals to a number of other local Meals on Wheels programs. Sister Alice Marie’s groundbreaking work in the field of senior nutrition and hunger has not gone unnoticed; among the accolades both she and St. Vincent Meals on Wheels have garnered include being a recipient of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) Silver Plate Award in 2006, for outstanding achievement in Specialty Food Services, being named “Woman of the Year” in 1988 by the State of California; and in 2013, having the Los Angeles City Council declare the day before Thanksgiving as St. Vincent Meals on Wheels Day in LA.
ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA
Meals on Wheels America is the national leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research, and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.
Press Contact:
Colleen Psomas, press@mealsonwheelsamerica.org