National Leadership Organization Supporting the Meals on Wheels Network Receives Honor for the Second Year in a Row

Arlington, VA – December 7, 2023 — Meals on Wheels America announced today that it won a Best Culture Award from Kudos, the company that unlocks employee potential and organizational culture through employee recognition, in the Innovator category for the second year running. The award recognizes Meals on Wheels America’s commitment to creating a great workplace culture through efforts to improve employee recognition, employee engagement, and overall employee experience.

“It is paramount that we have empowered and engaged employees bringing their best, authentic selves to work as we seek to achieve our ambitious vision of a country in which all seniors live nourished lives with independence and dignity,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America. “As a firm believer in the saying ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ we place a lot of emphasis on our people and it’s important to us that they’re proud to work here.”

Some Meals on Wheels America’s multi-faceted approach to culture includes:

• Establishing a hybrid-flexible workplace that honors staff preference and empowers its leaders and teams to schedule in-office days that maximize collaboration, team building, and moving their strategies forward.
• Prioritizing mental health by enhancing its Employee Assistance Program and continuing Life Balance Days in addition to paid time off when the entire organization takes a break from collaborating and meetings so that employees can use this time to rest, reset, or focus on individual work.  
• Fostering a genuine culture of belonging with support from staff-led committees designed to incorporate social activities and employee recognition as well as embed race equity, diversity and inclusion into all it does.
• Leveraging Kudos to allow staff at all levels to recognize and reward each other for their daily commitments to our cultural values: collaboration, accountability, service and learning.
  

Kudos’ Best Culture Awards celebrate the idea that the right culture can help employees fulfill their need for meaning and purpose at work, leading to happier employees, improved engagement levels and improved retention rates. A great workplace also leads to increased productivity and better financial performance for organizations.

"I am deeply honored to recognize and celebrate the exceptional organizations that have emerged as our 2023 Best Culture Award winners," said Muni Boga, President and CEO of Kudos. "Their commitment to fostering a culture of recognition, collaboration, and excellence is truly commendable. Congratulations to each winner – your achievements are a testament to the importance of putting people and culture at the forefront of business strategy. Here's to continued success and inspiring others in the years to come!"

Learn more about working at Meals on Wheels America at www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/careers.

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About Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation. Powered by a trusted volunteer workforce, this network delivers a comprehensive solution that begins with a meal and is proven to enable independence and well-being through the additional benefits of tailored nutrition, social connection, safety and much more. By providing funding, programming, education, research and advocacy, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

About Kudos
Kudos is an employee engagement, culture and analytics platform that harnesses the power of peer-to-peer recognition, values reinforcement and open communication to help organizations boost employee engagement, reduce turnover, improve culture, and drive productivity and performance. Kudos uses unique proprietary methodologies to deliver essential people analytics on culture, performance, equity, and inclusion, which provide organizations with deep insights and a clear understanding of their workforce. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the Kudos platform is used in over 80 countries on six continents in a wide variety of industries and languages.