AD COUNCIL CAMPAIGN ROUND UP – ALL SYSTEMS GO!

The efforts to develop and launch our Meals on Wheels Ad Council campaign are in full swing and we’ve got plans in place to keep you informed and to help you prepare. We’re still on target for a June 2016 launch and we want to make sure every community across the country is ready to leverage the exposure to create the greatest local impact! Below is a summary of what’s in store.

DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING OUR NATIONAL PSAs

First, we want to thank all the Members across the country that responded to our casting call by submitting one or more of their engaging and endearing seniors to be considered for a feature role. Our ad agency, Anomaly, is currently reviewing all the submissions and we promise to get back to you as soon as we receive their selections. Next steps will be a virtual screening with Anomaly and a move into film and production that will take place toward the end of March.

The hundreds of you who attended our Virtual Town Hall on Thursday, February 19 are already in-the-know about the campaign’s creative theme and ideas. If you missed it, just login here to view the recording. Just remember not to share the theme and creative ideas outside the Meals on Wheels America family!

MONTHLY READINESS EVENTS AND RESOURCES

We aim to support all Member programs to become fully prepared for what we hope will be a significant increase in volunteers, awareness and community support. To that end, we’ve created a schedule of monthly events and resources, each focusing on a different readiness topic area. The schedule is as follows:

MARCH

Volunteer Onboarding
Tips, resources and best practices for converting interested volunteer prospects into committed volunteers – with lots of help from your peers who sit on one of our Ad Council Member Advisory Committees.

APRIL

Volunteer Matching System
Get to know the volunteer matching system that will send volunteer prospects to your program, and how you can get the most out of it.

MAY

How to Engage Your Community
By May we’ll be ready to share the PSAs and all the tools we’ll be making available for you to localize them and put to work to further engage your local community.

Our February Unified Voice activities represent our efforts to make it as easy and economical as possible for local programs to identify themselves as part of the campaign by adopting the Meals on Wheels brand as their own. These include the following:

Members-Only Brand Adoption Webinar – Learn the advantages of adopting the Meals on Wheels brand and hear from Members who have already done so through this webinar that was recorded on Thursday, February 25.
Official Member Websites – Through our partner, OneEach Technologies, you can develop a robust, mobile-responsive branded website for a fraction of the cost of doing so independently. Services include design, development and ongoing support.
Online Print & Design Portal - Here you can easily customize and order the items you need for launch 24/7 – including high quality business cards, stationery and note cards. Bypass a designer and go straight to ordering! If you have already signed a Brand License Agreement, the person who submitted that agreement should have received an email on Tuesday, February 23 from the Meals on Wheels America Brand Team with your login information. If you don’t have it, contact brand@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
Brand Grants! – And, if all of that isn’t enough to make adopting the Meals on Wheels brand a viable option for your program, we are making a limited number of brand grants available to offset enough of the costs of a rebrand to fund an Official Member Website and more!

YOUR MEMBER ADVISORY COMMITTEES ARE HARD AT WORK ON YOUR BEHALF

A big thank you is in order for the local program staff who sit on our two Ad Council Member Advisory Committees for their continued work to support the thoughtful development of this campaign. Their input and feedback has been an invaluable source of Member perspective that we have infused into our planning at all key points along the way.

We will continue to keep you posted on all upcoming events and more as information becomes available. If you have any questions, please feel free to email adcouncil@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

READY, SET, MARCH FOR MEALS!

With March nearly upon us, we’re thrilled to have almost 300 March for Meals celebrations registered from across the country! And, to make sure your program is all set to go, we have a few last-minute action items and resources that will give your March activities an extra boost!

BUT FIRST…

Make sure you’ve registered your celebration so that the general public can find your program on the Celebrations List on the public facing side of this website.
Begin to register all Community Champions so that they will appear on our official roster.
Use your one-time $50 merchandise credit to purchase March for Meals apparel and campaign supplies before it’s too late! Just use promo code MEMBER2016 at check out!

JUST ADDED: #MARCHFORMEALS SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES

One of the most effective ways you can highlight your community's participation during March for Meals is by showcasing it on social media. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all allow you to share events, information and interactions while raising overall awareness for your program. And, unlike traditional media, you have the power to control your message.

We’ve created a Social Media Resources page within the Local Programs Toolkit to support you in all of our outreach. It includes:

General Social Media Information – Includes March for Meals hashtags and Meals on Wheels America platforms.
Cover and Profile Images – Enables you to show off your March for Meals pride throughout March.
March for Meals Social Media Image Library – Includes an easy-to-download file of March for Meals images sized specifically for posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Suggested Posts and Examples – Includes how to use each image found in the library with sample post copy to match.
Easy Upload Instructions – Includes step-by-step instructions for changing your cover and profiles images and adding these images to your posts.

ADVOCACY UPDATE: REACH OUT TO YOUR STATE LEGISLATURES THIS MARCH

Most state legislatures are in session during March for Meals which presents a great opportunity to invite your state senator/representative or Assembly person to visit and experience firsthand the importance of Meals on Wheels programs! We’ve included a list of states below that have legislative sessions ending in March. You’ll want to reach out and secure ride-alongs while these lawmakers are in session.

Wyoming – Ends March 4
Oregon – Ends March 6
Washington, Utah – End March 10
Florida – Ends March 11
West Virginia, Virginia – End March 12
Indiana – Ends March 14
Idaho, Georgia, and South Dakota – End the last week of March

See additional state legislative session dates beyond March for Meals here. You can also use additional technology tools like FiscalNote to stay up to date on sessions and support statewide advocacy priorities identified by your state associations or other statewide coalitions. Visit www.fiscalnote.com to request a demo or reach out directly to Amanda@fiscalnote.com.

Questions about March for Meals Advocacy? Watch our 14-minute On-Demand Webinar or contact Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1613.

BOARD MEMBER TESTIFIES ON IMPORTANCE OF SNAP FOR SENIORS BEFORE HOUSE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE

Vinsen Faris, Immediate Past Board Chair of Meals on Wheels America and Executive Director of Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties, continues to be a powerful voice for the Meals on Wheels movement. He recently testified at a House hearing about the pressing needs of the rapidly-growing senior population and the critical role the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays in meeting those needs for our nation’s most vulnerable seniors. The hearing, "Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: Addressing Special Populations," was held before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Nutrition earlier this month.

Throughout his testimony, Vinsen painted a picture of the harmful effects food insecurity has on senior health and well-being, and the subsequent impact on healthcare costs. He also outlined three policy recommendations for how the nation can provide better support to our seniors – great recommendations that you can reference for your own grassroots advocacy efforts:

1) Protect and support SNAP: While seniors on SNAP receive an average of $129 a month, even this small amount can ensure they don’t have to choose between meals and prescriptions.

2) Reauthorize and protect the Older Americans Act: Although it is the primary piece of legislation supporting senior nutrition services, it has been left unauthorized since 2011 and remains woefully underfunded. In fact, the Meals on Wheels network is serving 21 million fewer meals with this funding than they did in 2005 because that funding has not kept up with inflation.

3) Modify Medicare and Medicaid to meet the nutritional needs of our seniors: Coverage for home-delivered meals prepared by nonprofits, like Meals on Wheels, will ensure access to proper nutrition, keeping seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes and eliminating unnecessary healthcare costs.

Vinsen was joined at the hearing by Abby Leibman, President and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger; Erika Tebbens, Ballston Spa, New York; and Eric Scheidewind, President-Elect of AARP. Together, they painted a picture of the importance of SNAP for the diverse populations they represent.

Watch a full recording of the hearing here.

Questions? Contact Erika Kelly, Chief Advocacy & Government Affairs Officer, at erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1604 or Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager, at crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1613.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Alden's Meals on Wheels, Alden, NY
Neighborhood Alliance, Elyria, OH
Spectrum Community Services, Inc, Hayward, CA
L.A. Kitchen, Los Angeles, CA
Olympic Community Action Programs, Port Townsend, WA

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

ONLINE NETWORK CONNECTS ORGANIZATIONS TO SHARE EXCESS FOOD

MEANS, Matching Excess and Need for Stability, created an avenue to reduce food waste by enabling users looking for certain food items to receive real-time notifications for when those donations are made available. The Washington Post reports in the article titled The Revolutionary Technology Helping to Fight Food Waste that this online network was created by Maria Belding, a 20-year-old American University student. She was motivated to create it when she learned, surprisingly, that no such food-sharing solution existed.

MEANS works by enabling users to engage in three different ways: to list a food donation, to get notified about food near them, and/or to claim and arrange for a food pick-up. Visit meansdatabase.com to see if excess food sharing could help your program!

RIDE-SHARING COMPANIES HELP SENIORS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY

Lyft and Uber are finding ways to transport seniors who can’t drive themselves to places they need to be, such as: doctor’s offices, treatment centers, etc. While these companies both work towards the same goal, they have different approaches.

LYFT'S APPROACH

Lyft recognized that not all elderly people have smartphones, let alone smartphones apps, so they created a third-party web application that books Lyft cars for seniors. Read how they partnered with National Medtrans Network to have their company’s operators be responsible for booking Lyft cars for their company’s senior clientele here.

UBER'S APPROACH

Uber has taken it a step further by offering healthcare at seniors’ doors. For instance, healthcare professionals volunteered to drive to as many as 10,000 people’s homes to administer flu shots. Learn how they consider this to be just the beginning here.

Opportunities like these show that companies are considering seniors and their limited mobility within their business models more and more. However, we know that Meals on Wheels has beaten them to the punch when it comes to addressing senior isolation and hunger by providing friendly visits, nutritious meals and safety checks.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

NEW YEAR, NEW MEMBERSHIP RATES TAKE EFFECT

The new Meals on Wheels America dues structure officially took effect on January 1, 2016 and is just one of the steps we are taking to create more value for our Members.

As a reminder, the new dues structure contains tiered levels based on program size as defined by senior nutrition operating budget. The tiers are as follows:

Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets less than $500,000: $175 per year
Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets between $500,000 and $2,000,000: $225 per year
Programs with senior nutrition operating budgets greater than $2,000,000: $300 per year

Contact our Membership Team at membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or (888) 998-6325 with any questions.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S FISCAL YEAR 2017 BUDGET

On February 9, President Obama submitted his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017 to Congress, which included a $14 million increase in Older Americans Act (OAA) funding for our programs. The President’s recognition of the impact of your programs on the overall health and well-being of our nation’s seniors is important, yet there is still a long way to go until it is approved by Congress. Join us in taking meaningful action to ensure OAA programs receive this increased funding level in the coming fiscal year.

ACTION WE’RE TAKING ON BEHALF OF YOUR PROGRAMS

We’ve joined forces with other vocal organizations with similar missions to leverage the power of our collective voices to urge Congress to increase funding for Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs. We’ve made the case to protect and support your programs and the seniors you serve through two letters to key stakeholders of the budget and appropriations process. Here are the details on the letters:

We partnered with the Leadership Council on Aging Organizations to send a response letter to the President’s budget submission, commending the proposed OAA funding increases and also calling for further increases or, at a minimum, a full restoration of the funding for OAA core services that were lost in recent cuts. Read the full letter here.
We also worked with several other organizations to create a sign-on letter to urge the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education, and other related agencies to allocate the highest funding levels possible to their programs and services, including senior nutrition programs. This letter was sent to the Chair and Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations; the Members of the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittees were also copied. Read the full letter here.

In addition to these letters, we’ll continue to monitor the budget and appropriations process and keep you posted on the latest developments through future Washington Updates and Wheels in Motion newsletters.

JOIN US IN TAKING ACTION

Since the budget and appropriations process has just begun, it’s a great time to invite your Members of Congress to see your program in action during March for Meals. You can find your elected officials’ information here and use our customizable letters, emails and phone scripts in the advocacy resources section of the March for Meals toolkit to easily invite them to participate!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to reach out directly to our Advocacy Team for assistance.

Erika Kelly, Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer
erika@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1604

Crystal Espie, Public Policy Manager
crystal@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1613

For frequent advocacy updates and legislative news, follow Erika on Twitter @NoSeniorHungry.

NEW MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA ADDRESS

You can find us at our new address, below. And, as always, feel free to reach us on our main line at 1-888-998-6325, too!

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MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

2016 CONFERENCE KEYNOTES ARE SET –
CHECK OUT THE AGENDA-AT-A-GLANCE TODAY!

We’ve been hard at work securing a host of dynamic keynotes for the 2016 Annual Conference to build on the success of last year’s lineup. Here’s what Members had to say:

"The quality of all the keynote addresses was just amazing. Much more inspirational, informative and energizing than I ever dreamed."

- Cathy Sandoval

"This was a phenomenally great conference this year and each keynote speaker was topical, exciting and inspiring!"

- Patti Lyons

In addition to a surprise keynote event to officially kick off Conference on the morning of Wednesday, August 31, we’re happy to announce two additional keynotes have been added to the schedule:

Wednesday, August 31 at 4:45 p.m. / Kathy Greenlee, Administrator of the Administration for Community Living and Assistant Secretary for Aging

Kathy Greenlee, who serves in the dual roles of Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Assistant Secretary for Aging, will be joining us as her accomplished tenure at ACL comes to an end. Assistant Secretary Greenlee believes that people with functional support needs should have the opportunity to live independently in homes of their choosing, receiving appropriate services and support. That belief, and her commitment to building the capacity of the national aging and disability networks to better meet that need, has made her a steadfast champion of Meals on Wheels. Sec. Greenlee last joined us as a keynote during the 2013 Annual Conference in Boston.

KathyGreenlee

Thursday, September 1 at 8:00 a.m. / Ad Council Campaign Update with presenters from the Ad Council and our pro-bono creative agency, Anomaly

Last year in Orlando, Heidi Arthur, Senior Vice President for Campaigns at the Ad Council, and Tom Gibson, the Planning Director of our acclaimed ad agency, Anomaly, articulated how we’re working together to spark support through a powerful, nationwide Public Service campaign. This year’s Ad Council Keynote will highlight our accomplishments to date, and focus on how each and every Member can benefit from and leverage this multi-faceted campaign in their own communities.

AdCouncil

AnomalyLogo

JOIN YOUR PEERS - REGISTER TODAY!

More than 100 of your peers from across the country have already taken advantage of our discounted registration rates for the 2016 Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville August 31 – September 2. Early-Bird pricing is available through July 1, 2016 and additional discounts are applied when you attend with one or more of your colleagues.

Such a surge in early 2016 registrations has us even more excited to build on the momentum of Sparking the Movement as we push the limits of our thinking, teach emerging skills, offer fresh perspectives and share plans for seizing the incredible opportunities ahead.

2016 FULL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION	UNTIL JULY 1, 2016	AFTER JULY 1
Meals on Wheels America Member	$475	$525	Register
Member Group Rate	$425	$475	Register

SCHOLARSHIPS COMING SOON

As in previous years, we will be offering a number of Conference scholarships. Look out for more information on how to apply in March!

ACCOMMODATIONS

This year’s Conference will take place at the stunning Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee – the country music capital! Located just minutes away from the world-renowned Grand Ole Opry and a short drive from Nashville’s vibrant downtown, this city has something for everyone.

Our discounted Conference room block is limited and rates will expire on August 1 or sooner if the block has filled. Last year our room block filled up very quickly so it is important to reserve your rooms early if you'd like to stay where the Conference is taking place. (You can always cancel your reservation should your plans change.)

Our discounted room rate is $139 for single/double occupancy traditional rooms and $204 for single/double occupancy premium/atrium rooms (+ state and local taxes). These rates include the resort fee and are available from August 27 through September 6, 2016 so feel free to take advantage of the discount to extend your stay and explore Nashville.

You can book your stay online or by calling 1-888-777-6779. Be sure to mention the group discount code "Meals on Wheels America."

**INTRODUCING THE MEALS ON WHEELS LOVES PETS PROGRAM**

There’s no doubt that seniors and their pets share a special relationship. Research even proves that pets have a positive impact on overall health, happiness and well-being. It’s also no surprise that a pet may be their only companion other than one of your volunteers who visits them with a friendly smile and nutritious meal.

While we all understand the importance of this bond, the unfortunate reality is that taking care of a pet can be a physical and financial struggle. A senior with limited access to food will feed their pet over themselves more often than not. That’s why Meals on Wheels America is proud to announce our new national pet initiative, Meals on Wheels Loves Pets. Together, we’re working to ensure that both seniors and their pet companions can remain at home, where they want to be.

OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Meals on Wheels America is committed to developing our pet initiative to better support your seniors and their pets for years to come. We plan to increase the educational and funding support available to Members, establish meaningful partnerships in the pet space, and raise awareness among supporters about the deep connection between seniors and pets.

This new initiative would not be possible without the generous support of Banfield Charitable Trust (BCT), which, in October 2015, turned over all funding and grants administration responsibilities for their Pet Assistance Grant Program to Meals on Wheels America. And as we move forward, our goal is to not only support pet programs through grant funding, but also through in-kind donations of pet food, pet owner education, pet cruelty prevention, and in-kind pet services.

To learn more about the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets program, watch a recording of the recent webinar Keeping Seniors and Their Pets Together with the Meals on Wheels America Pet Initiative here.

STAY TUNED FOR 2016 GRANT INFORMATION

If you have an existing pet program or are considering starting one, we encourage you to apply for the 2016 Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant. The grant cycle will begin in mid-April, so be on the lookout for additional information in the coming months!

Questions? Contact Doyle Delph, Special Projects Manager, at doyle@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

IF YOU’RE NOT YET DISPLAYING YOUR 2016 MEMBER BADGE, DOWNLOAD IT NOW

The 2016 Meals on Wheels America Member Badge is ready to be downloaded and displayed on your website, in social media and in other communications materials. It’s free and easily available to all Members through a quick download. So, if you haven’t gotten yours yet, click here!

**NOMINATE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S KIND PEOPLE FOR CASH AWARDS**

KIND People is a program created by the KIND Foundation to celebrate community members who have gone out of their way to help others in need. The organization is currently accepting nominations for people just like you, your volunteers and other special individuals within your organization between now and March 31 for the chance to win $500,000.

NOMINATE NOW

Go here to nominate a KIND person in your community. You’ll be asked to answer a few basic questions about the nominee, how they’ve practiced kindness, their impact within the community and how they inspire others to live a kinder life. The KIND Foundation will work alongside a judging panel to select six stand-out nominees who will receive cash prizes. Learn more about who you should nominate and what exactly the judging panel will be looking for here.

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.

REIMAGINING YOUR SENIOR CENTER – WEBINAR, MARCH 10

This free webinar on March 10 at 3:30 p.m. EST will give participants the opportunity to reimagine what their senior centers could be. Presenter Pat Bohse, an accomplished nonprofit management and training consultant, will discuss the importance of strategic planning and introduce two innovative new program ideas: the Pop-up Center and the Seasoned Internship Program. Both concepts will enable your program to leverage valuable resources and ultimately serve your communities better.

IN THIS WEBINAR YOU WILL:

Understand the importance of executing a strategic plan for your senior center;
Learn how great client service and data collection is vital to your success; and
Explore how community collaborations can help you better serve seniors.

WEBINAR: Reimagining Your Senior Center
PRESENTER: Pat Bohse, President of Bohse & Associates, Inc.
WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2016
TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST
FEE: FREE
REGISTER NOW