Kristi’s Update

We seem to be at that season of the year when time moves at hyper-speed, even when we’re personally plodding along at quicksand pace. The next holiday seems to arrive before I’ve fully cleaned up from the previous one!

This year during the month of November, I used our Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels Facebook page to take time to reflect on things for which our agency is grateful. It didn’t take long to realized that the 30 days of November were not nearly enough to thank all the people, private companies, foundations, and service organizations who contribute their time, treasure, & talent to Meals on Wheels. We wouldn’t exist without them.

It seems that nearly every month, our newsletter reports about the incredible volunteers at Meals on Wheels, but so much of our success starts with them. Although we have a small paid staff who are in place to kind of keep things moving, our 400+ volunteers are really the heart and soul of who we are and what we accomplish. Our volunteers are the faces our clients see, and we couldn’t be more proud to be represented by them!

As we continue in this holiday season, I hope you’ll take a minute to thank the volunteers who deliver your food or check you in at a dining center, who set the tables and clean up the dishes, who make your sandwich or handle your paperwork. Each and every volunteer is a special and valuable part of our Meals on Wheels team. They are dedicated and dependable, caring and kind. And even during this hectic time of the year, we know we can count on their service.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Kristi Thien

Nutrition Services Director

Annual Client Surveys: Bouquets and Brickbats

Many years ago, when I was in college, the library had a bulletin board where people could post notes with comments, and I always loved that they titled the comment/complaint board: “Bouquets and Brickbats.” Bouquets were of course the kind and complimentary comments. Brickbats were critical and sometimes insulting comments. As I’ve been reviewing our annual client surveys, I’ve found overwhelmingly more bouquets than brickbats, but there are certainly a few critical comments that our staff needs to address. Definitely the survey questions about most and least favorite meals resulted in the least consensus. Not surprisingly, many meals that are touted as favorites for some clients are listed as least favorites for other clients. Items such as fish and broccoli are particularly polarizing, with many clients expressing strong opinions from both sides. Some people would like more Asian food, and others hope to never see it again. The most consistent client opinion throughout the survey is that staff and volunteers are excellent. Not a single person reported that the volunteers and staff weren’t polite and respectful. I couldn’t agree more! Without exception, our staff is hard-working, caring, and focused on serving our clients. And our amazing volunteers accomplish more each day than can be imagined: They help prepare, package, and serve meals. They help clean! They take care of our dining rooms and support our staff. They deliver the meals and keep an eye on our clients. They provide administrative support and serve on our Advisory Council. Meals on Wheels is incomplete without our volunteers, and I feel privileged to work with them and our excellent staff! Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey and to provide comments, good or bad. I’ve included the scores for the survey questions on page 5, so please take a look to see how your evaluation compares to the opinions of other clients. And please know that we take complaints and suggestions seriously, and we’re already planning how we can improve as we move forward, trying to provide the best service we can. In the next few months, I’ll address some of the specific comments and let you know what steps we’re taking to remedy issues or incorporate suggestions. Until then, I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kristi Thien

Kristi’s Update

September is a month when many of us focus on getting kids back to school, shopping for supplies and clothes, and figuring out new schedules. At our office, we’ve been brainstorming ways to partner with schools to find volunteer opportunities for staff and students. I’ll have to report in the future if we’ve been successful in that venture.
As I’ve been getting my own kids ready for the new school year, I’ve already completed one of the mundane annual tasks that’s required for my high school son to return to class: completing a new emergency form. I have to provide phone numbers, physician and health info, and emergency contacts. Although I get tired of completing the form every year, I understand the importance of providing that information.
Providing accurate and up-to-date emergency information is equally important for our seniors. We gather information very similar to what the schools request, and for the same reason. We want to be able to help our seniors as much as possible in the event of an emergency. And we want to be able to contact emergency contacts when we’re worried about a client.
In August, we had multiple incidents in which our drivers initiated client rescues. In one case, our volunteer driver called 9-1-1 for a client who had to be transported to the hospital. In another instance, our driver arrived to deliver a meal and found the client on the ground. Although that client didn’t require hospitalization, our staff called emergency contacts to make certain they knew to check on their loved one.
Sadly, we had one incident this month in which the main emergency contact phone number provided by the client was no longer accurate. Although we were able to reach the second contact, the client’s rescue was greatly delayed because we were unable to reach the closest family member. The client ended up spending 36 hours on the floor before rescue.
No one ever plans to fall or have a heart attack or stroke, but these unfortunate events happen, and it’s critical to be prepared. If you’re a Meals on Wheels client, please inform us of any changes to emergency contact info. If you’re an emergency contact for one of our clients, and you’ve changed your phone number, please contact us to update your information. Our staff and volunteers work hard to keep clients well-fed and SAFE. Please help us provide the best care possible for our seniors.
Thank you to all our excellent volunteers and staff who work hard to prepare, package, serve, and deliver meals to our clients! We’re grateful for the effort and care they put into feeding and caring for our seniors.
I hope September is a happy and safe month for you all.

Kristi Thien
Nutrition Services Director

Kristi’s Update

200,000 of anything seems like a lot to me. 200,000 wasps in my attic might force me to move, but 200,000 honeybees in a hive might provide a nice bonus income from the honey. 200,000 is an important number to us here at Meals on Wheels this year. Our service numbers are up more than 10% from a year ago, which means that we expect to serve more than 200,000 meals in 2018!

Annual growth of more than 10% for any business is quite extraordinary, and we’re unbelievably proud of the dedicat-ed volunteers, donors, and staff who have supported this growth. They’ve been working long, difficult, stress-filled shifts as they try to cover more ground than ever, particularly in these summer months when volunteers travel to spend time with family.

We’re grateful that we’re able to serve 10% more people who need us, and we’re thrilled and privileged that we have our excellent kitchen facility that can absorb that volume. But with growth of this size comes the need for more fund-ing, more volunteers, and more community support. The list below shows just some of the ways you can help support our agency so we can continue to serve nutritious meals to local seniors:

• Volunteer with Meals on Wheels as a driver, a meal packager, a server, a transporter, or an office helper.
• Support our mission through your contributions toward your meals.
• Help spread the word of our need for volunteers and funding.
• Become a monthly partner to provide ongoing financial support.
• If you’re a client, please cancel meals that you don’t need.
• Please encourage every amazing Meals on Wheels volunteer you meet.
• Ask your place of work or worship to sponsor (financial support) or adopt (deliver) a route.
• Ask if you can post our Volunteer flier (page 2) at a store, coffee shop, hairdresser, or other business.
• Remember us in your estate planning.
• Encourage people you know to become Meals on Wheels volunteers.

As we move forward in 2018, Meals on Wheels will continue to work diligently to find ways to fund and staff our pro-gram because we believe in our mission: To preserve and enhance the quality of life at home, with dignity and care. Working together as a community, we can fulfill this mission.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to become involved in our program as a client, a volunteer, a donor, or in some other capacity. Thank you for your support and Happy August to you all!

Kristi Thien

Nutrition Services Director