Gen Care Website

Author: CourtneyM

  • May Newsletter

    Is it really already May? As summer quickly approaches, I’m reflecting on my first few months with Meals on Wheels, and continue to be grateful for a wonderful and compassionate team, a caring community of volunteers and donors, the support of our greater community, an invested Advisory Council, a selfless and mission-focused Board, and the clients we are so lucky to serve. Even on days that are full of surprises and pivots, I leave the office feeling a deep appreciation for this program and forever fortunate to be a part of it all. Thanks to all who have been so welcoming to me!

    Now, for the juicy update: most of you have probably heard that our 1998 Ford van was stolen in early April. Our team arrived early on a Monday to find that our security chain had been cut, and our van was missing. In review of security footage, we learned that the van had been busted loose around 3:50 in the morning. We alerted the Richland Police Department, who confirmed they had seen her (the van) via their camera footage just after 4am on George Washington Way. Shortly after 10am, we received a call from an observant volunteer with a keen eye, reporting that they had seen our van in Burbank, and saw someone jump out and hop into another car, leaving the van running and the door open. Our fearless leader, Grant, headed to Burbank to check it out, and sure thing, it was there! We contacted the Walla Walla Sheriff’s office and once they were done checking it out, Grant drove the van to an auto shop and we held our breath, hoping for news that she could be repaired.

    A few days later, Columbia Point Golf Course notified us that they found our cambro cabinets on their course. We retrieved them and confirmed that they can still be used (thankfully). While we haven’t found our oven, we have received word that the van will be repaired and the oven replaced, all of which will be covered by insurance. This means soon enough, Mary Jane the Van will be back on our lot serving as backup meal transportation. This will happen just in time, as we have some appointments coming up for our daily vans and will rely on Mary Jane.

    If you weren’t already aware, this van has lived a wild life of crime, and was stolen once before in 2019. Let’s all hope this was her final run, and she’ll soon consider retiring from a life of crime.

    Thank you to ALL that reached out regarding this unfortunate theft. Your support brightened our days and we thank you for thinking of us! Until next time, thanks for being here!

  • April Newsletter

    Hello from Meals on Wheels! Spring always feels like a good time for new beginnings, so we are happy to announce that Meals on Wheels is resuming Friday home delivery beginning April 7! A note was sent to each home delivery client over the last couple of weeks, notifying of the change, and encouraging you to call and let us know if you do not want to have Friday deliveries. Please be sure to reach out to your assigned site and notify your site manager if you do not want to receive a Friday delivery of a hot meal. We are thrilled about this change in service, which, of course, would not be possible without our wonderful team and outstanding volunteers! For the past year, we have been working hard to get back to this, so please join us in celebrating!

    Speaking of volunteers, I am continually blown away by the wonderful humans that dedicate their time, talent, and resources to this organization and our delightful clients. We would be remiss if we did not take time to properly thank our wonderful team of volunteers, and that is why this month we will be celebrating them for a full week during Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 17-21)! If you are a client, please join us in saying, “Thanks!” to our extraordinary volunteers, without whom, this work would not be possible. We will host a volunteer appreciation luncheon on the afternoon of Friday, April 21. If you are a volunteer, please see page 3 (in April Newsletter) for details. Please note that our offices will be closed on Friday, April 21, to make time for All-Staff Training in the morning and the Appreciation Luncheon. Again, thank you for all you do to make this program what it is. You are appreciated! As always, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone: 509.735.1911 or email: chernandez@seniorliferesources.org

  • March Newsletter

    Hello! I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am Cara Hernandez, the new Director for Meals on Wheels. I am a Tri-Cities Native that moved away to obtain my undergraduate and graduate degrees, then moved back to the Tri-Cities in 2013, once my grandparents needed additional help. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of their everyday lives as they aged. One way that I assisted in their care from afar and maintaining their independence was enrolling them in the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels program. More than once, our family received calls after a concern was prompted by their volunteer driver, and each time I was so grateful for that second set of eyes when we weren’t able to be there. For this and many reasons, I am excited to be a part of this wonderful
    organization and to serve our community in a way that is meaningful and with which I have a heartfelt connection.

    I reside in Richland with my husband, David, and our dog and cat, Dottie and Simon. We spend our free time hiking, cycling, reading, walking shelter dogs, finding new food to try and regions to explore. I was fortunate to be hired in June 2022 as the Associate Director to train under and learn from Kristi as she planned for her retirement and because of that, I have already had the opportunity to meet many wonderful folks! I feel incredibly lucky to have learned from Kristi and orient myself with this incredible program. The most impactful part of my training has been witnessing the dedication of our team and the community involvement with Meals on Wheels, and meeting and interacting with our wonderful clients. Wow! The way that area organizations, community members, and supporters come together with our passionate team to facilitate the work that we do is awe-inspiring. I thank YOU for being a part of that, and I cannot wait to work together with you and continue the good work we do. If you have any questions for me at all or want to introduce yourself, please feel free to reach out any time.
    Phone: 509.735.1911 email: chernandez@seniorliferesources.org

  • May Newsletter

    Particularly since the arrival of COVID-19, our little Meals on Wheels world seems to be perpetually loaded with changes and challenges; we’ve tried to respond to each obstacle as an opportunity for us to improve how we serve our seniors. I can’t even imagine how we could have navigated the past couple years without the ongoing efforts of our dedicated volunteers, our hardworking & adaptable staff, and our supportive clients & community.

    Once again, we are facing a change and challenge, but we are absolutely thrilled to announce this change: Effective May 2nd (May 3rd in Connell), all 8 of our senior dining centers will be open for in-person dining! Our dining centers have been closed since mid-March of 2020, so to say that this change is exciting is a huge understatement!

    As excited as we are to move forward with in-person dining, we also know that the change will not be effortless or mistake-free. We are hoping that all our diners and their loved ones will extend us a bit of grace and latitude as our team all tries our
    best to provide excellent service despite challenges both known and unexpected.

    • We have several new-ish Site Managers who, although they’ve never even seen how our dining rooms operate, will now be charged with managing their dining center while still overseeing home deliveries. Although we can provide training, it’s undoubtedly difficult for them to fully imagine exactly how the process goes.

    • Like most businesses, we are receiving very few applicants for open staff positions, so we are somewhat short-staffed. Our office team will provide additional hands to support our site staff the first week or so, helping as much as possible while still completing their own work that helps keep people fed.

    • Regardless of our safety protocols, we know we have critics on both sides: Some folks view us as overly cautious and others believe we’re opening too soon. We hope that folks of all opinions understand that we’re doing our best to serve at a high level without compromising safety for our diners, volunteers, and staff.

    I can say, without reservation, that all our staff and volunteers do their best every day to serve the seniors in our community, and that every one of them is excited for our next steps. Our goal is always to serve high-quality, nutritious food, delivered to table or home with a friendly smile and good intentions. Reopening our dining centers renews our commitment to our mission, to preserve and improve the quality of life at home, with dignity and care.

    Wishing everyone a truly wonderful month of May, and I hope to see many of you in our dining centers!

  • 2022 Volunteer Appreciation

    We, the staff of Meals on Wheels, l♥ve the most awesome volunteers in the universe! Please enjoy our spoken word tribute to all the Meals on Wheels volunteers who brighten the lives of local seniors!

  • May Newsletter

    It seems like progress has been slow during the pandemic, but there’s always lots happening behind the scenes at Meals on Wheels. Our staff is a great team, and they continue to work hard on lots of projects to provide the best service we can:

    • Farmers Market voucher preparations are underway.
    • Our $10,000 grant application to Battelle for the Summer Celebration of World Cuisine was approved! Details will follow in next month’s newsletter.
    • Our staff hosted a fun Volunteer Appreciation BBQ in April, and we put together a silly-but-sincere video thanking our volunteers for their wonderful work.
    • Delivery routes require perpetual attention and changes as people add to or leave the program.
    • New volunteers are constantly recruited and trained to fill ever-changing needs. Veteran volunteers require a new background check every 2 years.
    • Our kitchen staff is busy testing new recipes while still cooking for 700 people at a time.
    • Our packaging/transport crew works tirelessly to figure out how to best serve and store our meals.
    • Our Registered Dietitian monitors the nutritional quality of our meals and keeps an eye on problems.
    • Service Coordinators spend hours on the phones each day to complete registrations & update files annually.
    • Drive-thru & site staff are always busy keeping track of many, many details to keep our seniors safe & well-fed.
    • Admin support staff answers phone calls and supports all facets of our operation.
    • Our Meals on Wheels team is in constant conversation with the Health District and other community partners as we plan our eventual reopening with safety and health as our top priority.
  • March Newsletter

    March Newsletter

    Each year during the month of March, Meals on Wheels organizations around the nation come together to celebrate March for Meals. It’s a time to honor our current volunteers and recruit new volunteers. It’s also a great opportunity to educate our community about the needs of our local seniors and how we work to fill those needs.

    Since 1974, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels has been serving seniors in Benton and Franklin Counties, delivering kindness in the form of a hot meal and a friendly smile. We feel privileged to serve our community and our seniors!

    Kristi Thien
    Nutrition Services Director