WE’RE JUST DAYS AWAY FROM OUR LARGEST GATHERING EVER!

Our 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo kicks off this Tuesday, August 30 in Nashville and we’re excited to convene more than 750 senior nutrition professionals, experts in the field and exhibitors to further our thinking, teach new skills, offer new perspectives and share plans for a positive future. Through three days of sessions, intensive workshops, keynotes, networking and the Meals on Wheels Expo, we will focus on these main topic areas to prepare us for the opportunities ahead:

Leveraging the Meals on Wheels National Ad Council Campaign – The Meals on Wheels Ad Council Campaign – that launched in mid-July – offers an incredible opportunity to thrust Meals on Wheels into the spotlight through carefully crafted public service announcements (PSAs) across millions of dollars’ worth of donated media. Keynotes and events will focus on how to take advantage of the nationwide campaign and harness its results at the local level to reap the greatest benefit and visibility for your program.
Forming Vital Collaborations and Partnerships – Regardless of your program’s size, scope or resources, identifying and cultivating cross sector collaborations and partnerships is crucial to your program’s vitality and future sustainability. Conference will cover a range of topics from healthcare integration to increasing revenue sources through local collaborations designed to make your program a stronger force in the community.
Developing Business Acumen – The senior nutrition market has become more competitive than ever before. Meals on Wheels programs must adapt to this changing landscape by gaining a greater understanding of the current and future environment, identifying a variety of funding streams, and focusing on data collection to measure outcomes and impact.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING:

Check the Conference Essentials three-part email series sent to attendees that will get you up to speed on everything you need to prepare and make the most of your trip. If you haven’t already, you can also download the 2016 Conference App to your smartphone to schedule your sessions and workshops, communicate with fellow attendees, learn more about each presenter, and more!

FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T:

Keep up with us on social media! The hashtag #TogetherWeRise will allow you to see and share posts from the all-new Meals on Wheels Leadership Academy Twitter handle (@MOWAcademy), your fellow Members, presenters, exhibitors and sponsors.

Keep an eye out for September’s Wheels in Motion eNewsletter for a full recap!

AMERICA IS DOING LUNCH!

AND WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN

We reported last month that the Meals on Wheels Ad Council campaign, “America, Let’s Do Lunch^TM,” had a powerful launch and is going strong. The two-tiered plan to push the campaign out nationally, and supplement that effort with local program effort has taken off and we are thrilled to report that both tiers are coming together to create results across the country. It’s now time to build on that foundation and take it to its next level.

We have heard great stories from so many of you about your experiences turning on the TV, driving past a billboard or cruising to the radio when our PSAs came on. And, we’re happy to be supporting so many of you who are boosting the national effort in your own market by generating additional donated media and customizing social media, posters, and digital activity. We’ve already sent thousands of new volunteer prospects to programs across the country, and we’re looking forward to watching those numbers grow.

JUMP IN AND MAKE THE CAMPAIGN YOUR OWN

SPREAD THE WORD – Use the tools in the Campaign Hub (password: americaletsdolunch, username: mealsonwheels), the Social Media Toolkit and the Print & Design Shop to engage your supporters, volunteers and communities.

ENGAGE THE MEDIA – Use the resources in the Campaign Hub to encourage the media in your area to dedicate more time and space to the campaign PSAs in your own market.

GET YOUR CAMPAIGN MERCHANDISE – Go to the Member Store to customize and order “America, Let’s Do Lunch” t-shirts, koozies, key chains and more. Use them as giveaways, give them to your volunteers, or sell them as a fund raiser.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION – All programs should keep the campaign alive on an ongoing basis through your social media channels. Visit the Campaign Hub and Social Media Toolkits for resources to post, always using the hashtag #LetsDoLunch. Customize your own posts at the Print & Design Shop.

HELP US HELP YOU – Please continue to keep us updated on any zip code assignments in the campaign’s database that may need to be made to ensure all volunteer prospects are matched with their most appropriate local program. Contact us at membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org with questions or revisions.

Remember: Your program must sign an "America, Let’s Do Lunch" License Agreement in order to engage in the campaign. Once you do, you will be provided with the login credentials for your Print & Design Shop account.

The recording of our August 1 Ad Council How-To Webinar: Engage Your Community Using Social & Local Media, provides you with everything you need to know to make the campaign your own. If you haven’t yet watched it, now is the perfect time!

As always, feel free to contact us if we can help you in your efforts at adcouncil@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

HOW WE’RE “DOING LUNCH” WITH CONGRESS

Wow, it has been a busy August! With the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations deadline fast approaching, everyone really kicked it into high gear during the Summer Recess Rush to make the needs of our programs and our seniors heard. You emailed, invited, and tweeted your way to the top of the conversation! Thanks to all of your outreach, the Meals on Wheels network has invited more than 75 Members of Congress to “Do Lunch” (and counting).

THERE’S STILL TIME

August isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to write and tweet at your Members of Congress. Keep our three key asks in mind as you continue to make your voices heard:

Urge your Members of Congress to fund the Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs at the levels included in the House's FY 2017 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill – a total of $848M.
Ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 4942, the DELIVER Act (Delivering Elderly Lunches and Increasing Volunteer Engagement and Reimbursements).
Ask your Senators to cosponsor S. 1089, the Social Impact Partnership Act.

A MAP OF THE 75+ MEMBERS OF CONGRESS INVITED TO "DO LUNCH"

If your Member of Congress visited your program, please let us know! Reach out to Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org. Remember, it’s important we keep the momentum going through the end of the month and beyond!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Calhoun County Council on Aging, St. Matthews, SC
CCHAP--Collaboration Station, Cleveland, OH
Community Action Team, Saint Helens, OR
Healy Senior Center, Redway, CA
Jewish Family Service, Inc., Teaneck, NJ
Meals on Wheels London, London, Canada
Northeast Georgia Regional Commission - Area Agency on Aging, Athens, GA
Saline County Aging Services, Wilber, NE
Schuyler County Office for the Aging, Montour Falls, NY
South Carolina Association on Aging Directors, St. Matthews, SC

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 11 IS THE NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE

This year’s National Day of Service and Remembrance is continuing its annual tradition of engaging in charitable service on Sunday, September 11 as a forward-looking tribute. It also creates a powerful opportunity to engage your community in the services your program provides for its seniors. Check out these easy ways that you and your network can take part in this important day.

THREE WAYS TO CELEBRATE

1. Invite your networks to join you for a ride-along meal delivery by uploading these social media images to Facebook and Twitter. We encourage you to also include content that is specific to your opportunity and use the official hashtag #911Day. Check out our sample Twitter and Facebook content that you can use when you post these images.

Sample Facebook Post: Help deliver more than just a meal to seniors in need on the National Day of Service and Remembrance on Sunday, September 11. Call [phone number] to volunteer today!

Sample Twitter Post: Learn first-hand how we deliver so much more than a meal. Volunteer today by calling [phone number] #911Day

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGES

2. Encourage your existing volunteers to invite a friend or family member to join them in volunteering on or around 9/11. One way your volunteers can do this is to post the social media images on their own Facebook or Twitter accounts. Another way is for your volunteers to email their networks with the sample copy we’ve provided for you below.

Sample Email Copy for Your Volunteers to Encourage their Friends to Volunteer:

Invite a friend or family member to join you on your route the week of Sunday, September 11 in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Ride-alongs are a great way to show others that we deliver so much more than a meal, and to introduce them to the many personal benefits to volunteering, too! You can invite your friends on Facebook or Twitter with our social media images and then simply call [insert your program phone number] to schedule their ride-along.

3. Use Serve.gov as a source for recruiting new volunteers by registering a service project here. This site also provides free marketing materials, and social media/press templates to raise awareness for this important day. Browse the available resources here.

We hope that this annual day of service brings added support to your program as we all pay tribute to 9/11 victims, survivors and those who rose up in service in response to the attacks.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

ADVOCACY NOW MADE EVEN EASIER

It’s finally here! All of the advocacy support your program needs – in one place – is now available at the all-new Meals on Wheels America Member Advocacy Center. This new resource makes it easy for you to stay involved whether you want to write to your Representative about the DELIVER Act, hear the latest on appropriations and the Older Americans Act, or access a toolkit for an upcoming campaign, you can find it all here.

There are many valuable features designed to support your program, including:

Easy online forms for taking action;
A live Twitter feed for @NoSeniorHungry with legislative updates and related news;
Information and tools on all of our advocacy campaigns, like Summer Recess Rush and #SeniorsCantWait; and
Standard advocacy tools you can use at any time, like social media images and handouts

Get started today at
www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/AdvocacyCenter.

Member Advocacy Center

LEARN HOW TO USE IT

Our short, 15-minute on-demand webinar walks you through every aspect of the Member Advocacy Center and you can access it at any time. Hear about how to track the latest legislative updates, read up on our activities on Capitol Hill and most importantly – take action on behalf of your seniors!

WATCH THE WEBINAR NOW

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Reach out to Crystal Espie, Member Advocacy Center expert and Public Policy Manager, at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

LET’S MAKE HUNGER A PRIORITY IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION

Vote to End Hunger

The election is just over two months away and there is still time for you to influence Presidential Nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to make the issue of hunger a priority. Join the collective effort with Vote to End Hunger’s more than 120 organizations and hundreds of individuals who are dedicated to ending hunger, alleviating poverty and creating opportunity, by taking these quick and easy actions:

Tweet at Republican Nominee, Donald Trump, and Democratic Nominee, Hillary Clinton and ask:
"If elected, what will you do to end hunger, alleviate poverty, and create opportunity in the US and worldwide?"
Follow Vote to End Hunger on Twitter and Facebook for frequent updates and ways you can advocate.

To date, three Presidential Debates and one Vice Presidential Debate have been scheduled between now and Election Day, November 6. Debate moderators will be looking for questions and topics to ask the nominees, so it’s important we put “our ask” out on social media as much as possible.

Presidential Debates:

September 26, 2016: First presidential debate at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
October 4, 2016: Vice presidential debate at Longwood University, Farmville, VA
October 9, 2016: Second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
October 19, 2016: Third presidential debate at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED?

Join the movement and show your support at votetoendhunger.org/get-involved.

THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION’S SECOND ANNUAL #SERVICESELFIE CAMPAIGN IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

Meals on Wheels America has been chosen once again as one of five nonprofit partners to receive funding from The Home Depot Foundation for its annual Celebration of Service #ServiceSelfie campaign. As one of their top national partners, we’ll have the opportunity to earn up to $100,000.

JOIN IN ON THE CELEBRATION

Starting on Thursday, September 1 and running through Veteran’s Day (Friday, November 11), the celebration includes the completion of a Team Depot (or Home Depot associate) led volunteer project in every community The Home Depot serves. Given The Home Depot Foundation’s strategic focus on veterans, partnering with Meals on Wheels America for this campaign was a no-brainer – in fact, the first known Meals on Wheels delivery was to a veteran following World War II.

On top of donating up to $100,000, Team Depot has already supported home repairs for veterans served by four Meals on Wheels Members in Austin, TX, San Francisco, CA, Fayetteville, NC and Kissimmee, FL – all through “The Helping Homebound Heroes” program, now in its second year.

You can help ensure that Meals on Wheels earns up to $100,000 by participating in the #ServiceSelfie campaign:

STARTING SEPTEMBER 1, SHARE A #SERVICESELFIE ON TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM

A #ServiceSelfie is Team Depot’s twist on the traditional selfie. Just snap a selfie of you or your volunteers in action – including the veterans you serve and home repair projects, if possible – and tag the photo with the hashtag #ServiceSelfie when you post to Twitter or Instagram. For every #ServiceSelfie shared on Twitter and Instagram during the Celebration of Service (September 1 to November 11), Team Depot will donate $1, up to $500,000 total, to be divided equally among the five national partners – money that we will grant back to you!

SEPTEMBER 19 IS A SPECIAL DAY TO “COMMENT” AND “SHARE” THE MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA #SERVICESELFIE POST

For every comment and/or share generated on Team Depot's Meals on Wheels America Celebration of Service post on Monday, September 19, $1 will also be donated to the national partners. Visit the Team Depot Facebook page on September 19 to share and comment on our Meals on Wheels America “spotlight post.” We’ll also be sure to share the special post on the Meals on Wheels America Facebook page so you can keep an eye out for it.

Stay tuned for more information about our veteran home repair awards with The Home Depot Foundation and how our Celebration of Service earnings will go back to eligible Members.

MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

CFPB PLACEMATS – NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH!

Earlier this year, we introduced placemats from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) aimed at educating your senior clients on potential consumer scams and fraud. With as many as 17% of Americans 65 and older reporting that they have been the victim of financial exploitation, we know this is a big issue facing your clients. The placemats were very popular and when we asked for feedback, we heard from many of you that a Spanish-language version would be of interest. Ask and you shall receive!

You can now order placemats in Spanish to use in your senior centers and to bring along with meal deliveries. They are free of charge, and you just need to follow these simple steps to secure them for your program:

Follow this link to the CFPB website and scroll down until you see “Usted tiene el derecho a vivir libre de estafas (10x14 placemat)”;
Select the desired quantity of your free placemat(s) and fill out your program’s shipping information at the bottom of the page; and
Wait for CFPB to deliver the placemats directly to you!

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

You can learn more about this initiative here. The CFPB is hoping to create an entire series of these placemats to address different types of fraud and scams affecting older adults, so stay on the lookout for more opportunities coming your way!

ADOPTING THE BRAND: WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Has your program been considering adopting the new national Meals on Wheels brand but still have some unanswered questions? Each month, we’ll answer your most commonly-asked questions about the Meals on Wheels brand to help you through your decision making!

SPECIAL SESSION AT CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK

Make sure to have your questions answered in person when you join us at the Annual Conference for an in-depth session Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Adopting the Meals on Wheels Brand on Thursday, September 1 from 1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. You’ll hear first-hand from a panel of Meals on Wheels America Member programs about how they made the decision to adopt the brand, sold the idea to their boards, found the funds to make it possible, launched it in their own communities, and the success it has brought.

THIS MONTH'S QUESTION:

Why should I adopt the Meals on Wheels brand?

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ANSWER

When your local program or State Association adopts the Meals on Wheels brand as its own, it creates a strong, instantaneous tie to this amazing nationwide movement – making your voices even louder and enabling you to better serve your seniors. Think increased national tie-in and recognition and, as a result, increased appeal to potential volunteers and funders.

Plus, as the Meals on Wheels Ad Council Public Service Announcement campaign asks millions of potential volunteers and supporters to step up and join our movement, you'll be ready as a visible, trusted participant in your community.

Learn more about this and all of your most common brand-based questions in the Brand Resource Center’s FAQs, or email brand@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Did you know that we have an online discussion group where Members just like you are actively collaborating with their peers on crucial topics? Contribute and learn about these topics by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group here. A few of the most recent conversations in the group include:

Best practices and products for transporting various meals;
How and when to recognize donors; and
Recommendations on emergency preparedness for inclement weather conditions.