March 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4

N e w s l e t t e r o f M e a l s o n W h e e l s a n d M o r e

THE MEAL TIMES

Coming Full Circle: Ronnie’s StoryOnce a client, now an employee, local man giving back where he received

Ronnie was in his mid-40s when the depression hit. Compounded by an ongoing struggle with alcoholism, Ronnie entered a downward spiral that would change his life forever. At the time, he was employed as a truck driver, and while he loved the work, he started to find it more and more dif-ficult to sustain the responsibilities of a “normal” life.

Feeling hopeless, he quit his job. But the pressures didn’t go away. Soon, he found himself homeless, living on the streets of Austin and fighting to survive, keep his belongings safe, and

find shelter every night.

The weight of living with depression was heavy enough on its own, but living on the streets made it worse. Ronnie felt deep down that something was terribly wrong, and, without anyone to reach out to, he began to question whether his life was worth living.

“I was in a dark place where suicide seemed like a reasonable option. I had no help. I had no one to talk with. The streets had killed my spirit,” he said. “The streets just drive you. They drive a lot of people to suicide, they drive a lot

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of people to do bad things and commit crime. They didn’t touch me like that, but they did hurt me.”

One day, though, things started to slowly turn around. Ronnie was given a place to sleep at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, and there he was connected with a counselor at Caritas of Austin, who helped him find help for his physical and emotional ailments. “And that’s when the little miracles started happening every day,” he said.

Ronnie started his healing process by participating in group therapy at Cari-tas. Then upon receiving much-needed medical treatment, doctors discovered that Ronnie had heart disease and other illnesses and would need a year’s worth of chemotherapy.

Caritas helped find Ronnie a place to live while he was going through treatments. For more than a year, he was too sick to leave his apartment, so he began receiving meals from Meals on Wheels and More.

“Meals on Wheels and More was a great part of my life during that year,” he said.

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“The combination of the medicine and the nutrition I was receiving … I started to really feel better. I had a better outlook on life, my attitude changed, and I wanted to give back.”

Late last year, as Ronnie regained his strength, he saw an ad that MOWAM was hiring a temporary driver and ap-plied. “Driving is my profession,” he said. “[This job] brings out my problem solv-ing skills that were dormant for a long time when I was sick.” Ronnie now works part time, as his health will allow, and continues to maintain his sobriety. “Meals on Wheels and More is doing more for me now, but in a different way,” he said. “They fed me for a couple of years, and now they’re allowing me to give back. And I want to give back to the people who were there to be good to me.”

“Full Circle” continued...

Mary Braver and Marvin Turner share a laugh after being named Queen and King of the Jonestown Senior Center Prom.

King and Queen for a Day

Happy Birthday Mike’s Place!Programs - they grow up so fast! It’s hard to believe that Mike’s Place, our activity center for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia, has already been in full swing for a year now. It’s been wonderful watching Mike’s Place grow and seeing how the relationships developed between the volunteers and participants have changed lives. We are grateful to everyone who has helped make Mike’s Place a warm and caring

environment and to all who bring joy to our organization each week! To learn more about Mike’s Place, visit the “Programs” page

on our website at www.mealsonwheelsandmore.org

From left to right: participants play volleyball; work on an art project; meet with one of the

center’s furry regulars; pledge allegiance; celebrate with volunteers; and dance!

WISDOM CIRCLE MEMORIES:

“My First Prom”“It was 1965, and like most girls, I was looking forward to the

prom. But it was a dream that would not be fully realized, for having been raised in the Church of Christ, dancing was not permitted, and I had nothing appropriate to wear. After much negotiation, I con-vinced my parents to allow me to at least make an appearance; walk in and walk out.

The night of prom arrived, and I still had nothing but a beige sweater dress that belonged to my mother. My date arrived and took me to the school. I walked into the gym and saw the other girls in dresses like what I had wanted to wear, with their dates having a good time. As required, I soon had to leave. My date picked me up at the appointed time, and we went to watch his parents play dominoes. Thanks to Kim at the Jonestown Senior Center for giving me my first full prom!

In December, the Jonestown Senior Center sponsored a Senior Prom. See the feature

photo below of our King & Queen!

Be our friend online!

T o g e t h e r , w e c a n e n d s e n i o r h u n g e r i n C e n t r a l T e x a s .

HARDEN HEALTHCARE PRESENTS THE 7th ANNUAL MEALS ON WHEELS GOLF CLASSIC

Monday, April 11th, 2011Hyatt Lost Pines, 575 Lost Pines Rd., Lost Pines, TX

Registration 9:30 a.m.; Shotgun Start 10 a.m.Lunch will be provided

Awards Reception at 3:30 p.m.Network with some of Austin’s savviest business

mavericks and bid on luxury auction items!Sponsorships still available.

www.golf4meals.org

Opal & Ernest: Taking Care of Each OtherThey don’t garden or get out as much as they used to, but Opal and Ernest are okay with that. They still have each other, and are thankful for it every day. Married for more than 20 years, the East Austin couple are both dealing with health problems - Ernest from cognitive disabilities, Opal from complications related to cancer and arthritic hands. The couple relies on Meals on Wheels, as it’s dif-ficult for them to cook these days, and Opal uses the Medi Wheels program when she needs a ride to the doctor. “Meals on Wheels is a big help to us,” she said. “And we also look out for one another ... we just try to make each other laugh every day.”

One Voice Central Texas speaks out on budget cuts

One Voice Central Texas, a mem-ber organization of more than

40 health and human services nonprof-its, recently held a press conference at MOWAM to speak out about how pro-posed state budget cuts will affect our community’s most vulnerable residents. One Voice Chair Suki Steinhauser re-marked that this is the worst budget cycle for health and human services she’s seen in 25 years.For more information, visit www.onevoicecentraltx.org.

Mary Teeters receives AGE Rose Professional Spirit AwardCongratulations to Mary Teeters, the Vice President for Client Services at MOWAM, for winning the 2011 Rose Professional Spirit Award from Austin Groups for the El-derly.

This award celebrates an individual whose professional commitment to older adults goes above and beyond their job description and who has touched the lives of older Aus-tinites.

Mary has more than 15 years of experience working for so-cial service organizations that focus on older adults, includ-

ing the Meals on Wheels organizations in Waco and Tarrant County. She is past chair of the Aging Services Council and a current member of the ASC Steering Committee.

When asked why she chose to work with older adults, Mary said, “I watched a lot of people grow old and be ignored as if there was nothing they could contribute any-more. I wanted to change that.”

Mary will be honored at an April 29 event. Last year, the award went to Marty Rose, the former executive director for AGE.

Welcome Meg & Norine!We are pleased to announce the arrival of two new members to our Board of Directors - Meg Youngblood and Norine Yukon.

Meg Youngblood, a partner at Maxwell, Locke, and Ritter, come to MOWAM with a strong desire to get involved at a grassroots level. Meg has worked with the Junior League in the past, and serves on The Women’s Leadership Council of The Long Center.

Norine Yukon, President of United Healthcare, has volunteered for MOWAM with her husband for the past four years and comes to the board with a desire to increase access to nutrition for elderly Austinites.

Welcome aboard Meg and Norine!

Gratitude• The Topfer Family Foundation for supporting Meals on Wheels; • The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation for supporting Meals on Wheels;• The Austin Junior Forum for Adopting a Day;• A Glimmer of Hope Foundation for supporting Sunday Meals and Care Calls;• Theodore P. Davis Charitable Trust for supporting Meals on Wheels; • The Powell Foundation for supporting Meals for Kids;• The ECG Foundation for supporting Meals on Wheels;• The Finn Family Foundation for supporting Second Meals;• The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation for supporting Meals on Wheels;• The Home Depot Foundation for supporting the Handy Wheels program through a Building Healthy Communities Grant;• The Strake Foundation for supporting Second Meals;• Sam’s Club for supporting Meals on Wheels;• Padgett, Stratemann, & Co., LLP for donating two laptops;• GoMedigap for sponsoring our Christmas Day delivery.

“Find the good and praise it.”- Alex Haley

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Sam’s Club employees Linda Flores and Jennifer Poling present a check for $1,000 to Andrea Torres, MOWAM Vice President for Development.

Give Realty Owner Laurie Loew presents a check for $1,150 to Andrea Torres, MOWAM Vice President for Development.

Hisco Employee Dennis Hamilton presented Andrea Torres, Vice President for Development, with a $1,000 check.

Season for Caring Family Happy in New Home

Thanks to the Austin American-States-man’s Season for Caring campaign, we are happy to report that the Sands family is now living in a new home that is better suited to their accessibility needs.

Christine Sands, 79, and her two daugh-ters, Linda and Kathy, both of whom suffer from Cerebral Palsy, had all of their wishes for housing and furniture fulfilled through Season for Caring, including over $12,000 in home renovations and addi-tions. The total amount given on behalf of Season for Caring was more than $55,000! Thanks to the Statesman and all who donated to Season for Caring for improving the lives of those in need.

LETTERS: “The blessings are endless”Recently, a volunteer wrote us to tell us about this note she received from a client on her route.

“To a very special lady & MOW friend. You do so much for so many! I am so blessed just knowing you! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you first for giving your time and en-ergy to deliver the meals, and always with a bright smile and kind encouraging word. I thank you also for the physical blessings you share - the calendars each year, the post cards from your vacations, the Christmas gift and most recently my birthday bag. The blessings you share are endless and my thanks are also endless even when I forget to pass them on.”

The volunteer shared the letter, because she said, “I wanted to show how we make a difference in our clients’ lives ... It reinforces what I know, deep down -- that being a MOWAM volunteer is important to the clients, but also to the volunteers.”

Dear Friends,

We’re already well into 2011, but I want to take a minute just to say thank you for all you did in 2010.

Because of you, we were able to serve 1,067,000 meals to people in need - the most we’ve ever served in a year’s time. Be-cause of you, the lives of individuals who are homebound, elderly, sick, or disabled were made just a little bit better. With your

support, we provided not just meals, but many other critical servic-es, like rides to the doctor and phone friends who helped our clients keep their spirits up.

It was a year during which our clients felt the love and the support of everyone who plays a role in making sure this important work gets done in our community - our donors, volunteers, and advocates.

Right now, so many basic needs organizations are expecting to see excruciating budget cuts at the state level. We, too, will be affected. But I am confident that with supporters like you, we will continue to reach the individuals in our community who so desperately need the food and other services we provide.

Some people see Meals on Wheels as primarily a food provider, but I like to think of us as a hope provider to people who have largely been forgotten by our society. The knock on the door that clients receive each day can do so much to restore their spirit. I cannot imagine the despair that so many people live in when they do not have family and friends to help them through tough times. We’re here for them to be the support network that every human needs. And I thank you for joining us. Your support is changing lives.

Sincerely,

Dan Pruett

BOARD OF DIRECTORSEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Tim Hayden, Board ChairBlue Clover

Namkee G. Choi, Ph.D. First Vice Chair,

University of Texas at Austin

Samuel Houston Secretary

D.R. Horton Homes

Michael C. Brown, Chair ElectTexas Capital Bank, N.A.

Ron Westbrook, Second Vice ChairWells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Larry C. BuchTreasurerOffice of the Attorney General

Shannon OrcuttTime Warner Cable

Chris MaherFosforus

Nelson S. Robinson, Ed.D.Allstate Insurance Co.

Brian TuerffBBVA Compass Bank

Chris TaylorWhole Foods Market, Inc.

Meg YoungbloodMaxwell Locke & Ritter

Bob WynnOxford Commercial

B.J. Friedman, Ph.D.Texas State University

Vivian Renfro3M

Rick YeomansGraves Dougherty Hearon & Moody PC

Ben HansonHarden Healthcare, LLC

Norine YukonUnited Healthcare

MANAGEMENT TEAMDan Pruett

President and CEO

Michael H. GoldsteinVice President, Public Policy &

Advocacy

Andrea TorresVice President, Development

Marsha WierVice President,

Human Resources

Larry Cosper, C.P.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Theresa MedlinVice President, Volunteer Services

Mary Z. TeetersVice President, Client Services

Linda PerezAssistant Vice President, Client Services

DAN’S CORNER

C h a r i t y N a v i g a t o r 4 - S t a r R a t i n g f o r F i s c a l M a n a g e m e n t

Twestival Fetes MOWAM!We’re happy to an-nounce the 2011 Aus-tin Twestival benefits MOWAM this year! The event, short for Twitter Festival, will be held on

Thursday, March 24th from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Dogwood on West 6th Street.Thanks to all who organized the event and selected us as this year’s beneficiary! Learn more at austin.twestival.com.

JOIN US ON LINKEDIN OR FUNDRAISE ON CROWDRISE!

We are happy to announce new ways you can all connect with Meals on Wheels and More online! Recently, we have set up profiles on both LinkedIn and Crowdrise. Linke-dIn is a networking site for professionals, whereas Crowdrise is a social networking site that rewards individuals for fundraising for causes they support. We invite you to join us on both sites and learn more about MOWAM!

www.linkedin.com/company/meals-on-wheels-and-morewww.crowdrise.com/mealsonwheels

Stewart Whitehead, Immediate Past ChairWinstead PC

Dan PruettMeals on Wheels and More

Donate to MOWAM for Country Club DiscountNow through May 31, 2011, Great Hills Country Club is offering an 80 percent discount off their standard initiation fee to anyone who makes a donation to MOWAM! Interested in more details? Contact Nina Sligar at 512-527-2717 or email nina@greathillscc.org.

MOWAM IN BRIEF

Help Keep Someone Cool this SummerAustin is on the thaw after a chilly winter, and it’s time to switch gears so we can help our clients stay cool this summer! If you’re able to donate a new fan or air conditioner, please let us know. Call 476-6325 or drop donations off at 3227 East 5th Street in Austin.

C O M P A S S I O N I N A C T I O N

Clients in need of help getting to the doctorWe’re still seeking volunteers for our Medi Wheels program, which provides clients transpor-tation to and from regular doctors’ appointments. Drive only when you’re available! Contact Casey Wallace at 476-6325 or mediwheels@mealsonwheelsandmore.org for more!

Woman on Her Toes: Volunteer Judith LindforsCongratulations to our volunteer Judith Lindfors for winning a 2011 Women on Their Toes Award from the Ballet Austin Guild!

Judith meal manages three days a week at one of our largest meal distribution sites, Prince of Peace, and is an active presence at Mike’s Place, where she works as an activity coordinator and friend to participants. Judith will be honored by the Ballet Austin Guild at an April 7th luncheon.

Calf measurement helps determine nutrition needsRecently, our Nutrition Servic-es Director Se-anna Marceaux, working with our case manage-

ment team, has implemented a new nutri-tion screening pilot program that includes an objective measurement of a client’s calf circumference alongside a standard set of comprehensive questions designed to determine a client’s nutritional needs.

Measurement of calf circumference in people over 65 is considered to be com-parable to a Body Mass Index (BMI)

measurement.

The pilot program targeted 40 clients over the age of 65, all who gave prior permission, and the results were very promising. Using this new measure-ment, we’ve found we’re able to identify clients who are most nutritionally at-risk with greater accuracy.

We plan to continue this program in 2011, and look forward to reporting more results. If you have any questions, please contact Seanna Marceaux at smarceaux@mealsonwheelsandmore.org

NEW CENSUS MEASUREMENT LEADS TO SPIKE IN ELDERLY POVERTY RATE

Recently, the Census Bureau released information about new ways it is trying to measure poverty levels, and some of the new measurement tools have led to a sharp increase in the number of individu-als over the age of 65 who are considered poor.

Traditionally, the Census has assessed a person’s poverty rate by comparing income with factors like food prices. But when factoring in additional costs, such as healthcare and other living costs, the percentage of elderly adults found living in poverty nationwide increased from less than 10 percent to more than 16 percent. Texas has the 4th highest rate of senior hunger in the U.S., according to a study

done by the Meals on Wheels Associa-tion of America, and here in Austin we are seeing more and more elderly people in need of assistance meeting basic needs.

Currently, more than 288 people who have found themselves in need of food assistance over the past year are on our waiting list for services. The waiting list was created in July 2010 because we are currently unable to keep up with the growing demand for services at current funding levels.

“We feel strongly that factors like living and medical expenses should be consid-ered when assessing a person’s poverty level,” said Dan Pruett, CEO and Presi-dent of MOWAM. “Shelter and medical treatment are as central to a person’s ability to survive as food is. These new poverty measurements are indeed more accurate. We’ve suspected that far more people are living in poverty than cur-rent numbers indicate. The need for our services in the community is great, and will only continue to grow.”

For more information on the Census’ Supplemental Poverty Measure, visit www.census.gov.

“Thank you for letting us volunteer. Volunteering gave us a chance to put a smile on someone’s face. And this gave us a chance to be grateful for everything.”