WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS
Meals on Wheels
Daniel Thomas
Glen Tidwell
Sharon Miller
John Prindle
Lori Richardson
Fataneh Omidvar
Jennifer Randall
Friendly Callers
Bobbie Goodwin
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Friendly Visitors
Carey Burwick Bobbie Goodwin Colleen Hendrickson Pat Hook Kathi Jozaitis Lynda Robertson Alizu Urbina
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WORDS WE
LIVE BY
Excerpt from a letter to Elaine Clark
"Just a note of thanks along with some photos for you. Best memory is that in 2013 and 2014, the Meals on Wheels Fall Prevention Program made Helen Steers' (year of birth 1923) single family dwelling in Concord so much safer.
Best regards and thanks again."
Janet Wilson
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WELCOME OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER
Wayne Francis
Wayne Francis has worked in the Financial Services industry for 30 years in various roles including as a Stockbroker and in Estate and Retirement Planning. Wayne is currently working on several ventures in the Social Media arena.
In addition to his professional life. Wayne has been committed to public service. He has served on other non-profit boards and was a Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Sisters organization for 9 years.
Wayne is also an avid photographer. He has traveled the world photographing people and landscapes, and making cultural exchanges.
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TRIBUTES AND MEMORIALS
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services recently received donations in honor of:
Mary Androtti
Angie Coddington
Dana Gallagher
Evelyn Hart
Gertrude Hornacek
Harry Jackson
Margaret Jackson
Joyce Kearney
Oscar Lottman
The Masiewicz Family
Mary Morris
David E Moechel
Beverly and Jim Rovai
Nelly Salgado
Sybil Scales
Ruth Silva
George Smith
Mrs. Yokomizo's 1st Grade Class
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services recently received donations
in memory of these individuals.
Our deepest condolences to the families and friends of:
Henrietta Acosta
Gloria Adams
Raul Arana
Frank Beans
Allan Bosswick
Ira Brickell
Calvin Brown
Richard Burnside
Barbara Elizabeth Covello
John G.R. Clegg
Janet de Urioste
Sue Ennenga
Joseph Freitas
Dorothy Day Hall
Clara Israel
Goriak Israel
Jesus R. Jaramillo
Irene Kenna
Ray J. Kerkhoff
Lorraine Kraintz
Eleanor Larson
Odessa Luman
Howard Maccabee, MD
Mitsugi Maneki
Shawn Morrissey
Maximino Panlilio
Mercinda Panlilio
Dennis Reichard
Lyle Rinkenberger
David Schiller
Kenneith E. Siqueira
Robert Slatten
William J. Stoll
Bob Thurlow
John Van Hoomissen
Ruth B Warren
Roger Weiss
Gene and Brenda Webster
Wilma Werner
Rea Williams
Mrs. Ivy Witworth
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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John Muir Health
presents
"How Dementia May Effect You and Your Family"
Friday, December 16th
9:30am-11:00am
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Fighting Hunger in Contra Costa
Wednesday, February 8th
7:00pm
Ygnacio Valley Library
2661 Oak Grove Road,
Walnut Creek
Key Note Speakers:
Elaine Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services and
Larry Sly, Executive Director, Food Bank of Contra Costa
and Solano.
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MOWSOS 1st Annual
Poker Tournament Fundraiser
Saturday, February 25th
6:00pm-11:00pm
The Grange
743 Diablo Road, Danville
Help us make this a BIG success by purchasing a table filled with your friends!
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Media
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86° Magazine Check out our photo contest winners! ~~~ East Bay Times Front Page Story by Sam Richards Providing Food For A Disabled WWII Vet ~~~ Good Neighbrs by Faith Barnidge-Delivering Dignity ~~~ MOWSOS is now on the StopFalls California website. Check it out. ~~~ |
Holiday Food Bank Barrel
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Our annual December Holiday Food Bank Barrel is located in the lobby at 1300 Civic Drive.
Most Needed Food Items:
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Whole Grain Cereal and Oats
- Hearty Low Sodium Soups and Chili
- Canned Tuna and Chicken in Water
- Canned Fruits and Vegetables
- Beans, Lentils nd Brown Rice
- Whole Grain Pasta
- Canned Tomato Products
The barrel will be picked up by the Food Bank on Tuesday, December 20th.
Thank you!!
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AmazonSmile
When completing your shopping on Amazon, use Amazon Smile and pick Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services as your charity of choice. Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to our organization.
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Bequests
As a 501(c)3, we are eligible to receive bequests.
or 925-937-8315.
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Available Resources
Cancer Support Community 3276 McNutt Avenue Walnut Creek Website ~~~
Contra Costa County Information & Assistance
Contra Costa Crisis Center ~~~ Advisory Council on Aging Get Your Vaccinations ~~~ Contra Costa Health Services Department www.cchealth.org ~~~ Contra Costa Crisis Center www.211database.org ~~~ |
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Issue 4, Volume 12
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December 2016
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Emotional wellbeing is a pillar of health. And, according to Dr. Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, emotional wellbeing is under appreciated. Wellbeing includes healthy relationships, socialization, and feelings of connectedness. Feelings of isolation for example can be as detrimental to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services is more than a meal. Our goal is to create a sense of wellbeing and connectedness while delivering a meal, class, or service. As you read the stories below, consider the lens of wellbeing/connectedness. The meal is the "entre" into the person's life. Feelings of connectedness, wellbeing, and improved health are the result.
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"Celebrating the Good Work"
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services has forged an exciting new partnership with The Commons at Dallas Ranch, a senior living community in Antioch.
"I called Dolita Mpofu, Director of Activities at The Commons, to gage her interest in working together," says Susannah Meyer, Volunteer Specialist at MOWSOS. "We hit it off right away and began exploring ways we might partner with each other."
The Commons at Dallas Ranch is owned by MBK Senior Living whose overriding mission is to exceed the quality, service and care expectations of the seniors they serve -- much like that of MOWSOS.
"One of the core philosophies of MBK is 'Yoi Shigoto' or 'the good work,'" says Mpofu, "so to honor the good work, we held a warm outerwear drive so that warm scarves and mittens could be delivered to homebound Contra Costa seniors through the Meals on Wheels Program."
"It was a huge success," says Nancy Raniere, Meals on Wheels Program Specialist, "and the Commons residents had a great time making the deliveries along with our volunteer drivers."
Volunteer driver orientations are often held at the Commons. "We can't thank The Commons enough for allowing us to conduct our very important orientations at their beautiful facility," says Meyer. "Many of our volunteer drivers live in East County so it is a definite benefit and convenience to hold the orientations in Antioch."
For more information on becoming a MOWSOS partner, please visit our website at
www.mowsos.org.
For more information on becoming a volunteer driver, please contact Susannah Meyer at
smeyer@mowsos.org or 925-954-8736.
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Share the Spirit
Help, Hope and Heroes: Honoring our Veterans Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services proudly accepted a $5,000 grant through Share the Spirit last month - a grant made possible through a partnership between The Bay Area News Group/East Bay Times and the Contra Costa Crisis Center. Share the Spirit has been helping East Bay's most needy during the holidays for nearly three decades and awards grants annually. At its core, the Share the Spirit grant is created with gifts from generous people committed to local causes, many of whom are East Bay Times readers. "This year, MOWSOS was awarded funding to recognize and honor our senior veterans," says Susannah Meyer, MOWSOS Volunteer Specialist. "We honor our veterans every November in celebration of Veteran's Day but wanted to do something above and beyond this year."
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From left to right: East Bay Times Reporter, Sam Richards shakes hands with MOWSOS client and WWII Veteran, Patch Curtis (seated). |
Meyer created the "Help, Hope and Heroes: Honoring our Veterans" theme and the staff at MOWSOS ran with it. Fifty veteran clients will receive a $100 Gift Card of their choice during the holidays. As part of the grant, East Bay Times Reporter, Sam Richards, interviewed MOWSOS client and disabled WWII Veteran, Patch Curtis. Patch enjoys telling the story of his time serving in the United States Army, and has an impeccable recollection of dates and events throughout his career and life. In fact, when Richards asked Patch his age, he replied "95 years, 7 months, 4 days." (I think he gave the hours, too, but unlike Patch, this writer has a poor memory). We will have more Share the Spirit stories in the coming months. To read Sam's story, click here.
For more information about the Meals on Wheels Program, contact Nancy Raniere at
nraniere@mowsos.org or
925-937-8607.
For details about Share the Spirit, contact Susannah Meyer at
smeyer@mowsos.org
or 925-954-8736.
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"I Did it My Way" Nell is 88 years old and having the time of her life. She has lived in Concord for over sixty years and has seen the town grow from a population of 5,000 to 100,000 residents. Nell says "most of it has been progress." Nell moved west from a small town in Nebraska when she was 16 years old. "I was raised in such a small town that if you blinked your eyes you were through it," says Nell. Nell married her next door neighbor and fellow Mt. Diablo High School graduate. She spent forty-five years working for the Contra Costa County Election Board and remembers having to lift very heavey ballot boxes -- sometimes containing 3,000 plus ballots!
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Nell, Concord C. C. Café diner and Presidential Lifetime of Service Award recipient. |
"I've either worked or volunteered most of my life and have enjoyed it immensely," says Nell. In fact, Nell was hired at the ripe young age of 71 as the Yard Duty Attendant at Wren Avenue School. She also received the Presidential Lifetime of Service Award from President Obama for her 6,000 hours of volunteerism! Her award is framed and hangs in her front room. The Concord C.C. Café is one of her favorite places. "I get to visit with my wonderful friends," says Nell. She fondly remembers 90 year-old Will who would not eat his dessert for fear he might "get fat," and, Earl who has sat next to her for fifteen years and with whom she has a very special bond with. "The food is very nutritious," says Nell. "I used to weigh 230 pounds and have lost nearly 100 pounds. I attribute much of the loss to the well-balanced meals at the C. C. Café."
These days, Nell is busy playing the organ and gardening. "I do it my way," she says. "I have twenty-nine rose bushes and seventeen fruit trees. "I'm always busy. Hard work doesn't kill you, it's good for you."
To eat lunch or learn more about the C. C. Cafés, contact Bonnie Paulson at
bpaulson@mowsos.org or
925-357-9706.
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Prevent Holiday Falls
When entertaining over the holidays, it is especially important to consider ways to prevent falls when older adults come to visit.
Will you be visiting a parent, grandparent or older adult friend this holiday season? If so, pay attention to a few details to see if your loved one might be at risk for a fall.
- Do you notice that they aren't as steady on their feet as they were the last time you saw them?
- Do they have trouble getting out of chair or do they hold onto the furniture when walking?
- Do you see electrical cords, clutter or loose throw rugs they could trip over?
- Should there be a stair railing on the porch steps?
If you notice these fall risks plan some time to talk to your loved one and offer your help to make their home safer, or connect them with a fall prevention program.
You can find a fall prevention checklist and safety tips on our
website.
For more information on the Fall Prevention Program, please contact Alayne Balke at
abalke@mowsos.org or 925-891-4761.
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Lusciously Nutty Holiday Logs
Registered Dietitian Mary LaRock flavored these phyllo rolls with orange and dark chocolate for a winning cookie that will be a lovely addition to any holiday cookie platter!
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Little Faces Help Spread Thanksgiving Cheer to Seniors
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Awards and Recognition
Clayton Valley Women's Club Celebration of Living Award 2016 |
The Rotary Club of the Delta, Antioch Certification of Appreciation awarded to Elaine Clark "In honor of Your Contributions and Presentation." |
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If you have suggestions for our newsletter or would like to contribute a quote, photo, or story, please contact: Leigh Shughrou Public Affairs Specialist
Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services 925-937-8311 x104 lshughrou@mowsos.org
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
1300 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925-937-8311 mowsos.org
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