IT'S TIME FOR SUMMER RECESS RUSH

INVITE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO VISIT YOUR PROGRAM TODAY!

Congress will soon break for its annual August recess and will be back in their home states and districts for five weeks straight. This is the perfect opportunity for you to invite them to visit your program to call for increased funding, reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and protection of this valuable piece of legislation from sequestration. We've created a variety of tools to make it easy for you to get started today.

Summer Recess Rush_Teaser

Our Summer Recess Rush Toolkit will assist you in educating Congress on the work you, your staff and your volunteers do each day, how it is making a significant difference in the lives of the seniors you serve, and that the OAA is a critical part of the solution to ensuring that no senior is left isolated or hungry. Even if your organization doesn't receive federal funding through the OAA, thousands of seniors in your state are benefiting from this outstanding public-private partnership.

TOOLS TO HELP YOU ENGAGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

It is important that we keep the momentum going from the Senate’s recent passing of S.192, the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2015 as it moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. We've outlined a few simple steps that you can take during our Summer Recess Rush:

Get Them Involved: Invite your Members of Congress to go on a "ride along" with a volunteer, visit a congregate site and/or help prepare nutritious meals using this customizable letter.
Know the Facts: Review our Key Messages and Quick Facts to brush up on your knowledge of the OAA and senior hunger.
Know Your Members: The Key Congressional Committee Guide will help you determine if your Members of Congress serve on Committees that oversee legislation affecting your program. If they do, reaching out to them can be especially impactful.
Publicize and Thank: Inform local media of an upcoming visit and extend a "thank you" to your Members of Congress by customizing this press release template.
Get Social: Spread the word on social media using the "Dear Congress" images. Be sure to use the hashtag #WeAreOAA and/or #MoreThanaMeal.
Ask Your Rep. to Speak Out: Urge your Representative to deliver a One-Minute Speech on the House floor about his or her experience visiting your program and the value of the OAA. Here's a ready-to-go template that you can send directly to your Representative’s office.
Sign On: Sign onto this coalition letter no later than August 21 to join organizations nationwide that are advocating to end sequestration.

RESOURCES TO MAKE YOUR VISIT A SUCCESS

These tools explain the purpose of the OAA, the legislative issues and the actions Members of Congress can take to support the seniors you serve. Have these on hand when elected officials visit your program and/or share them directly with their staffs today:

Reauthorize, Fund and Protect Handout: This is a great leave-behind for meetings that summarizes the three important legislative actions Members of Congress can take.
OAA Flyer: This 8.5 x 11 flyer provides a more detailed description of the OAA and how it supports nutritious meals. It can be easily printed in-house, shared on social media and/or emailed directly to congressional offices.
More Than a Meal Research: The executive summary and infographic of our groundbreaking research study provide impactful overviews that can be printed in-house and/or sent electronically to help make your case.
State-By-State and National Fact Sheets: These tools provide state-level data on hunger, isolation, poverty and OAA Nutrition Programs, summarizing the key problem, solution and facts.

SHARE WHAT YOU'RE UP TO

As you take action locally, please keep us informed at the national level. When our efforts are united and we're communicating with elected officials from multiple touch points, we'll have an even greater impact. Always feel free to reach out directly to our Advocacy Team with stories, photos, data, questions and ideas.

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

And, for frequent advocacy updates and legislative news, be sure to follow Erika on Twitter @NoSeniorHungry.

FOUR REASONS MEMBERS ARE ATTENDING OUR BIGGEST CONFERENCE YET

This year’s annual gathering of your senior nutrition peers is drawing quite the crowd! While we’ve already broken our attendance record, it’s not too late to book your trip to Orlando for the 2015 Meals on Wheels America Annual Conference and Expo.

HERE ARE THE TOP FOUR REASONS YOU SHOULD JOIN MEMBERS FLOCKING TO ORLANDO IN DROVES TO SPARK THE MOVEMENT

#4 – You get to spend quality time with fellow senior nutrition colleagues from across the country at the “happiest place on earth.”

#3 – The Expo will make you feel like a kid in a candy store as you check out the latest and greatest products and services that can help you run your programs and services more efficiently.

#2 – Meals on Wheels Leadership Academy sessions will allow you to explore the major areas and disciplines that make senior nutrition programs run well.

And #1 – Conference is like a big group study session to prepare you for the challenging road ahead – when escalating need meets a rapidly changing marketplace and stiff competition. All of us could use study-buddies.

THERE’S STILL TIME TO ACT

Full Conference Registration is just $475 for Members and you can save an additional $50 per registration when you book with colleagues from your senior nutrition program.

REGISTER TODAY!

Discounted rooms are still available at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort – just a 10-minute shuttle ride to and from all Conference events at the Dolphin Hotel. Morning and evening shuttle bus services will be provided at no charge. Rooms are available for $129 per night plus tax and you can make your reservation online or by calling 1-800-423-3297. Be sure to ask for the Meals on Wheels group rate!

Questions about Conference? Contact our Membership Team at 888-998-6325 or membership@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

ASSOCIATION HONORED FOR EMPOWERING MEMBERS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS

Meals on Wheels America proudly accepted our second “Power of A” Gold Award in two years from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for our More Than a Meal groundbreaking research and comprehensive Member toolkit. This prestigious award was created by ASAE to recognize how associations like ours leverage resources to solve problems, kick-start innovations and advance industry performance to make the country a better place. This award follows last year’s “Power of A” Gold Award for our March for Meals campaign and toolkit.

GOING FOR THE GOLD

The More Than a Meal project was designed to equip Members with the facts and tools needed to convey the true impact of Meals on Wheels. We delivered the research study that demonstrated the Meals on Wheels value with a toolkit full of turnkey resources, such as presentations, key messages, sample social media posts and graphics to empower Members to affect change in your communities.

MORE OUT OF MORE THAN A MEAL

It’s never too late to share the research that backs up what we’ve all known through experience for decades: that Meals on Wheels does, in fact, deliver so much more than just a meal. You can still access the Member Toolkit to continue to spread the word at www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/MTAMtoolkit.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

STUDY PROVES ADDITIONAL DANGERS OF LONELINESS IN OLDER ADULTS

Loneliness proved to be bad for seniors' brain health in a recent study conducted by Nancy Donovan, geriatric psychiatrist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Lonely adults are more likely to experience memory problems and are at higher risk for dementia, physical limitations and declines in mobility.

“In some studies, social withdrawal is actually the earliest behavioral sign of change in people who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease,” said Donovan.

This study provides further evidence of the importance of Meals on Wheels and why providing so much more than a meal is crucial for our seniors. Read the full article here.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROPOSES NEW RULE TO INCREASE FOOD ACCESS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposal that would allow grocery purchasing and delivery programs run by nonprofit and government organizations to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits as payment for those services. While some of your organizations may already have the authority to accept SNAP payments for home-delivered and congregate meals, this new proposal creates a pilot program that would expand the range of food services that can be covered.

Secretary Tom Vilsack of the USDA announced this new pilot at the White House Conference on Aging earlier this month. Through the initiative, the USDA will select up to 20 food purchasing and delivery services to be eligible for the one-year test. The performance of this pilot will help determine the final decision on whether or not the program will be made permanent and expanded.

You can read the official announcement here for additional information on the proposal.

ASSOCIATION UPDATES

PRESIDENT AND CEO ELLIE HOLLANDER SPEAKS DURING 2015 WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING

Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander spoke at the historical 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) in a discussion with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack - the only portion of the Conference dedicated to senior nutrition. Ellie stressed the unique challenges faced by seniors struggling with hunger and isolation, and advocated for the vital importance of the Older Americans Act and the pressing need to reauthorize and adequately fund its programs.

“Never in the history of this country has the issue been more grave - it’s growing and it’s expensive. Any trend will tell you that we have one in six seniors who are food insecure. And many of them aren't here and we can’t see them, so we have to be their voices.”

- Ellie Hollander

You can watch a recording of Ellie’s discussion with Secretary Vilsack here.

CATCH UP ON THE CONFERENCE

Check out these quick resources for a full recap of the WHCOA:

Questions about the 2015 WHCOA? Contact our Advocacy team at advocacy@mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

TAKE SURVEYS TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE

SurveyMonkey Contribute offers national non-profits organizations an easy way to earn funding and, more specifically, an opportunity for all of us to grow the Meals on Wheels America funding stream. For every brief survey you complete, SurveyMonkey will donate $.50 to a national, charitable organization of your choice – and you can select Meals on Wheels America to be yours.

START YOUR SURVEYS NOW

When Meals on Wheels America thrives, all of our Members benefit through additional offerings such as new educational opportunities, grants, and other key benefits. Sign up here and take a few minutes each week to complete a survey.

You’ll be surprised how quickly $.50 per completed survey adds up. We’ve already raised more than $8,000 to aid in our fight to end senior isolation and hunger. Every cent counts!

MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES & BENEFITS

MEMBERS ADOPTING NEW BRAND, CREATING UNIFIED VOICE

We recently launched the process and tools that enable Member programs and State Associations to easily adopt the new Meals on Wheels brand as their own. So many of you have already taken action that we wanted to keep you posted on what your peers are up to and how you can join them.

Meals on Wheels Durham is one of our several brand adopters.

NEW BRAND MESSAGES ARE AVAILABLE TO US ALL

The Brand Identity & Messaging Guide is free for all Members and can be easily downloaded from our website using your Member login. We hope all of you will download, review and adopt the contents of this guide to help fortify your own messaging. Put it to work for you now!

ADOPTING THE BRAND LOOK

All Member programs can adopt the visual identity of the national brand by either taking on a customized local version of the national logo (like the example above) or by adding the Member Brand Badge to websites and other communications materials. Signing a license agreement is all it takes to access the logo art files and style guidelines that will walk you through their usage. Check out the list of your peers who have already signed the agreement and are integrating the new look as their own here.

Add your program to this quickly growing list by signing a license agreement that will not only make you part of our growing movement, but will provide you with unlimited, free access to our brand photo gallery. Download the Brand Identity & Messaging Guide and the licensing agreement here.

sarah@mealsonwheelsamerica.org with any questions about how to make the national brand your own.

DRIVING THE MOVEMENT GRANTS – AVAILABLE SOON!

The Meals on Wheels Driving the Movement grants, funded by Subaru, will soon be launched for all Member programs in good standing. The purpose of this opportunity is to increase your program's measurable impact and fill the funding gaps to finance any pressing needs that could include: purchasing additional meals, upgrading technology, fostering innovation, building or improving volunteer programs, branding and marketing initiatives and more.

The grant application period will begin in October with approximately $500,000 available to be awarded, based on state-by-state funding allocations established by Subaru. Member programs of all sizes and capabilities will be asked to apply online. Examples of questions in the grant application will include:

What amount of grant funding are you requesting? (Grant requests will be capped at $5,000.)
What purpose will the grant funding serve?
How would financial support from this grant, if awarded, assist your program and make an impact in your community?
How many meals will this grant support either directly (e.g., through the purchase of meals) or over the life of your expenditure made with Driving the Movement funds (e.g., through the purchase of equipment), if awarded?

Awards for the 2014 Driving the Movement program most commonly directed funds to the following needs:

Removing individuals from waiting lists
Expanding community outreach to identify seniors who are in need but unaware of the program’s services
Advertising for volunteers
Training volunteers
Purchasing new equipment – primarily for kitchens

STAY TUNED

We’ll provide more information in the upcoming weeks. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to our Chief Membership Officer Keith Greene at keith@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 571-339-1610.

SAVE NOW THROUGH OUR MEMBER DISCOUNT PROGRAM AND US FOODS

Many of your fellow Members are already taking advantage of major savings from US Foods through our Meals on Wheels America Member Discount Program’s Premier Group Purchasing Plan. US Foods is a leading distributor offering over 350,000 high-quality products to choose from. Let us perform a no-obligation Market Basket Analysis to calculate exactly how much our US Foods partnership can save you, too.

“It’s not every day you have the opportunity to save your program tens of thousands of dollars. With Meals on Wheels America and Premier, it was as easy as picking up the phone. We’re already saving 25% on our food costs and we’re excited to explore all of the programmatic possibilities such as saving on background checks and office supplies.”

– Kevin Ressler, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Lancaster (PA)

START SAVING NOW

Savings with US Foods through our Group Purchasing Partner, Premier, can be started through these simple steps:

1. Sign up with Premier, if you haven’t yet already, here.
2. Calculate your potential savings in advance by requesting a no-obligation food service Market Basket Analysis here. You can also request an analysis of office supplies and other products through the form available here.

The analysis will take approximately three weeks. Meals on Wheels America's Business Services Manager Steven Skelton will follow up directly with a detailed report and a discussion on whether the switch to our Premier Group Purchasing Plan is right for your program.

Questions? Contact Steven Skelton at steven@mealsonwheelsamerica.org or 706-436-3999. Start saving today!

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 hot topics by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group here.

POINTS OF LIGHT ANNUAL CONFERENCE DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS ONLY

An exclusive 20% discount on the 2015 Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service awaits you. This Conference promises to be the largest gathering of volunteer, national service and civic leaders from across the country and will take place in Houston, TX October 19-21. Its focus will be on how the next generation of change-makers is creating new and effective directions for volunteerism.

APPLY YOUR DISCOUNT CODE NOW

Make sure to apply the discount code Mealswheels20 on the registration form found at this link. You can save even more by taking advantage of Early Bird pricing before Friday, August 14. The conference is also yet another networking opportunity for both you and your fellow volunteer coordinators. And, you’ll already know someone there – Meals on Wheels America’s very own Chief Membership Officer Keith Greene will be in attendance. Let him know if you plan on attending by reaching out to Keith at keith@mealsonwheelsamerica.org. Keith hopes to see you there!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Metlakatla Indian Community, Metlakatla, AL
Community Servings, Inc., Jamaica Plain, MA
Southern MS Planning & Development District AAA, Gulfport, MI
Charles A. Walburg Multi Service Organization, Inc.,
New York, NY
Allegany County Office for the Aging, Belmont, NY

Gateway Community Industries, Kingston, NY
Mecklenburg County Senior Nutrition Program, Charlotte, NC
Ohio Department of Aging, Area Agency on Aging, Dayton, OH
WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc., Fremont, OH
Galveston County Senior Services, League City, TX
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, Livingston, TX