The Meal Times Newsletter of Meals on Wheels Central Texas

THE MEAL TIMES NEWSLETTER OF MEALS ON WHEELS CENTRAL TEXAS

Volume 42, Issue 5 December 2017

“I am so Thankful for Meals on Wheels” “I’m a jack of all trades,” says Mary who lives by the big oak of living,” she explains with a 84-year-old Linda Richards, tree?’ I’m not exaggerating,” Ms. shake of her head. before quickly adding, “and Richards recalls with a laugh. master of none.” Major health issues, including a broken hip, also forced a Ask the Santa Fe, New Mexico different kind of living on her. native about the jobs she held Physically unable to work, and as a younger woman, and homebound and alone in her East she’ll list occupations long Austin apartment, she relies on since replaced by automation – Meals on Wheels Central Texas telephone operator - and those to nourish her body and spirit. that, decades later, still require She appreciates the nutritious a living, breathing human being food our volunteers deliver to her - card shill for a Las Vegas casino door. “That takes care of lunch (more on that Vegas vocation in and that’s a big deal. That’s kind a bit). MOWCTX client Linda Richards of the main meal,” she says. in her East Austin apartment Ms. Richards began her working But as much as she loves the life with Southwestern Bell in Other jobs included stints as healthy food, she treasures the the 1950’s, back when folks a manicurist, an assistant to a daily visits from the folks who needed operators to place podiatrist, a home-health care bring her lunch, and credits them long distance calls or look up aide, and that aforementioned with vastly improving her outlook telephone numbers. “You had position in Nevada. “I worked on life. “More than the meals are to get that number for them. If as a shill. [The casino] gives the [volunteers] who come here. they didn’t know how to spell the you chips and you play because They’re so friendly and kind and name, you figured it out and got nobody wants to go to a table loving. They have that spirit that number. Once, this woman where nobody is gambling. I about them. They make you feel called and asked me ‘operator, had to go to work at three in the important. They make you feel can you give me the number of morning. That’s a different kind like you’re a queen,” she says. (Continued on back page) www.mealsonwheelscentraltexas.org 3227 E. 5th STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS 78702 w 512.476.6325 Empty Bowl Project Fills Important Need It’s called the Austin Empty with good hearts line up outside The totals for this year’s event Bowl Project, but the bowls don’t the Central Texas Food Bank, are still being tallied – but the stay empty very long - not when pay $20 to purchase one of the Empty Bowl Project has raised there’s plenty of delicious, piping bowls and fill it with soups made almost $200,000 for MFK hot soup to pour into them. by dozens of local restaurants, over the past few years! We including our very own Meals thank the organizers of this on Wheels Chef Ruben Burnett, wonderful holiday tradition for and bread from several nearby their continued support of Meals bakeries. Attendees also enjoy for Kids! live music performed by talented Central Texas artists.

Best of all, the immensely popular event raises money for the Food Bank’s Kid’s Cafe program and our Soup lovers search for just Meals for Kids (MFK) program, the right locally crafted bowl which provides nutritious snacks As part of the event, which and lessons on healthy eating began in 1997, local potters habits to children who live in donate bowls of every shape, public housing communities and MOWCTX Head Chef Ruben Burnett and Fox 7 News anchors Rebecca Thomas size, and color to the cause. attend after school programs and Mike Warren take a break from Then, every year on the Sunday run by our dedicated partners at serving up bowlfuls of Chef Ruben’s before Thanksgiving, soup lovers Communities in Schools. Frosty the Snowman chicken soup.

Statesman’s Season for Caring Helps MOWCTX Client In spite of a series of strokes disabled. She and Donovan live that have left her bed-bound and on her $1490 monthly Social partially blind, Bertha Foster is Security Disability check, most determined to walk again. of which goes towards rent and utilities on their small one- Ms. Foster, a 42-year-old bedroom apartment. Not only is MOWCTX client, and her 15-year- money tight – so are their living old son, Donovan, are one of the quarters. Ms. Foster admits “we families featured in this year’s MOWCTX client Bertha Foster just need more room.” Austin American Statesman’s and her son, Donovan, are part of the Season for Caring campaign. The 2017 Austin American-Statesman’s To find out how you can help event is a partnership between Season for Caring campaign the Foster family this holiday Photo courtesy of: Ana Ramirez/ the newspaper’s Editorial American-Statesman season, please visit community. and Community Development statestman.com and click on departments and introduces meals help Ms. Foster maintain “Season for Caring”. readers to families in need and her independence as she tries to the nonprofit agencies providing regain her health. But she and Follow us: services to them. Donovan need assistance in other ways. Ms. Foster worked as a Our nutritious home-delivered nursing assistant before becoming

COMPASSION IN ACTION First Family of Texas and Others Deliver Meals and Holiday Cheer Texas Governor Greg Abbott, First the holiday meals to get a slice. the only human interaction they Lady Cecilia Abbott, and their Later that morning, volunteers, had that holiday–underscoring daughter, Audrey, were among including the Abbott family, the fact that our volunteers do the 150 or so volunteers who began lining up around 10:15. indeed deliver much more than delivered delicious meals and Ms. Abbott is a seasoned pro at a meal. much-welcomed holiday cheer delivering our nutritious lunches to hundreds of our homebound considering she’s volunteered for clients on Thanksgiving Day. MOWCTX since 2010.

By 11:30 a.m., all of the Thanksgiving meals were out the door of our Central Kitchen and on their way to people who would not have otherwise enjoyed a holiday meal. And, for many of our clients, the community-minded Our wonderful partners at H-E-B people delivering their lunch were generously underwrote the cost of nearly 500 Thanksgiving Day meals

This is the 12th year MOWCTX Texas Governor Greg Abbott (r) has provided a Thanksgiving Day and First Lady Cecilia Abbott with lunch to our most vulnerable MOWCTX President/CEO Adam Hauser clients. Many thanks to the Our dedicated kitchen crew volunteers who took time out from arrived in the wee hours that their family gatherings to help Thursday to prepare 105 lbs. our neighbors in need. We also of roast turkey, 125 lbs. of deeply appreciate our wonderful cornbread dressing, 96 lbs. of partner in community service, peas and carrots, and enough Texas Governor Greg Abbott greets H-E-B, for underwriting the spiced pumpkin cake for each volunteers waiting to pick up their entire cost of our Thanksgiving of the 486 clients who received Thanksgiving Day meal deliveries Day meals.

Sound Fiscal Management MOWCTX and Austin As you consider your year-end Subaru Share the Love charitable giving contributions, keep in mind that Meals on Wheels Did you know that Subaru will donate $250 to Central Texas has been recognized the customer’s choice of participating charities by Charity Navigator with its for every new vehicle sold or highly coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal leased now through January 2, management and commitment to accountability 2018? If you’re in the market and transparency. for a new Subaru, please choose Meals on Wheels as your charity Charity Navigator is the nation’s largest of choice! independent charity evaluator.

Together, we can end senior hunger in Central Texas. “I Still Do This in Honor of Him” Longtime Meals on Wheels in service, first in the Air Force, GRATITUDE Central Texas volunteer Billy Gray and then volunteering for Meals • St. David’s Foundation for credits a U.S. president with on Wheels,” says Mr. Gray. supporting In-Home Care igniting the spark that prompted him to volunteer for us. But Before long, Mr. Gray was • Austin Empty Bowl for supporting it’s someone with a much less delivering two routes per week. Meals for Kids lofty station in life who keeps One of his routes has since that spark burning all these changed, but the other is the one GoMedigap for supporting years later. he’s had since that very first day Christmas Day meal delivery in 2002. He still delivers lunch to a few of the same folks he did • Carl C. Anderson, Sr. & Marie Jo back then. When asked what Anderson Charitable Foundation those longtime clients mean to for supporting Meals on Wheels him, he says, “it’s hard to put Central Texas in words.” He pauses and then adds “family.” He says of the • Mac N Cheese fest by Austin Food Magazine for supporting Meals on time he spends delivering meals Wheels Central Texas and companionship, “it enriches your life and takes very little of Volunteer Billy Gray not only delivers • Planet K for supporting Hurricane lunches to our homebound clients, he your time.” Harvey relief efforts also serves as a Meal Manager at our Prince of Peace distribution site. Speaking of time, his flexible • Tacodeli for supporting Meals on schedule as a realtor allows Wheels Central Texas “I’m a Democrat who answered him to also volunteer a third George W. Bush’s call for day a week. Every Monday, he • Greater Texas Federal Credit Union volunteerism,” Mr. Gray says of serves as Meal Manager at our for Supporting Meals on Wheels his 2002 decision to donate his Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Central Texas time to MOWCTX. Coincidentally, distribution site, which gives him on his first day as a new volunteer, a chance to meet other MOW • Austin Dog Rescue – Support he met the man who to this day volunteers. It’s the same type of for Emancipet Services for our inspires him to serve neighbors job once held by his friend, Mr. clients’ pets. in need. Bill Sturdevant was Sturdevant, the man be believes • Texas Veterinary Medical Meal Manager at our Holy Cross defines volunteerism. “He died Foundation – Partnership in Lutheran Church distribution site a few years ago,” says Mr. Gray. providing Private Veterinary care where Mr. Gray picked up meals “He was a great guy and he gave for hundreds of our clients’ pets for his route. “He became my me new insight. I still do this in inspiration, he had spent his life honor of him.” Giving Tuesday Donations Help Homebound Seniors Hundreds of Central Texans that of an anonymous donor who donated to MOWCTX on Giving pledged to match donations up to Tuesday, the global day of $30,000, we raised a grand total online philanthropy, which is of $67,000 in just 24 hours! celebrated in the U.S. on the Thank you to all those who gave Tuesday following Thanksgiving. to MOWCTX on this special day! Thanks to their generosity and

Together, we can end senior hunger in Central Texas. www.mealsonwheelscentraltexas.org Adam’s Corner BOARD OF MANAGEMENT Dear Friends, DIRECTORS TEAM I know it might sound odd, but I’m Ben Hanson, Board Chair Adam Hauser still celebrating Thanksgiving. No, EQ Capital Strategies, LLC President and CEO the turkey day leftovers are history. Meg Youngblood, Chair-Elect Larry Cosper, C.P.A. I’m just not ready to quit celebrating and Board Treasurer Executive Vice President & CFO the spirit behind the fourth Thursday Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP in November - giving thanks. Michael Wilson Norine Yukon, 1st Vice Chair Sr. Vice President & COO Community Volunteer This year, I have an abundance of Marsha Wier things for which to be thankful. First Samuel Lee Houston, Secretary Executive Director/MOWCTX of all, I am deeply thankful for the Community Volunteer In-Home Care incredible people who work here; a Rick Yeomans, Past Chair Melanie Alexander forward-thinking, compassionate Graves, Dougherty, Hearon, & Moody, PC Vice President for Human Resources board of directors; and 7,500+ Michael C. Brown Charles Cloutman dedicated volunteers, all of whom Texas Capital Bank, N.A. Vice President for Home Repair Program make Meals on Wheels Central Texas the most impactful Meals on Wheels Namkee G. Choi, Ph.D Theresa Medlin Crawford University of Texas at Austin Vice President for Volunteer Services organization in America. I give thanks and Distribution for these great people because they B.J. Friedman, Ph. D never lose sight of our mission to Texas State University, San Marcos Demereal Owens Vice President for Client Services nourish and enrich the lives of our Nick Weynand most vulnerable neighbors. TradeMark Media Nicole Sarkar Vice President for Development I’m also thankful for the depth Stewart Whitehead of our service platform, which Winstead Thad Rosenfeld Vice President for Communications continues to evolve as we strive to Adam Hauser improve the health—both physical President and CEO and emotional—of the needy in Meals on Wheels Central Texas our community. For example, our In-Home Care program—now housed in our Central Kitchen headquarters on East 5th Street—features dedicated personal care attendants who provide life-sustaining assistance with daily living activities for the vulnerable people we serve. And, our technology-based programs—Telehealth and Connecting Seniors with Technology— both designed to enable isolated older adults to combat depression loneliness through computer-based connections with trained social workers or friends and family.

But I’m especially thankful for kind Central Texans, just like you, who believe in our innovative, holistic and nurturing approach to helping our older neighbors and those with disabilities age in their own homes safely and with dignity and independence. Your generous support of our mission is changing lives for the better--just like Linda Richards and Bertha Foster, whose stories you’ll find elsewhere in this newsletter. On behalf of the 5,000 people we serve every year, thank you so much for your support of Meal on Wheels Central Texas.

May 2018 bring you and yours peace and joy! In service together,

www.mealsonwheelscentraltexas.org charity navigator 4-star rating for fiscal management HAND Changes Name and Address All of our vital, life-sustaining Central Texas family of services, services are now available under an acquisition made possible one roof! by our friends at the St. David’s Foundation. At the time, HAND continued to operate from its office on East 2nd Street.

But now, HAND has changed The MOWCTX In-Home Care office its address and its name. The team provides top notch assistance new name is—“Meals on Wheels to the frail people we serve and to Central Texas In-Home Care”— our dedicated attendants. and the renamed agency is now also streamlines communication Earl Maxwell (l), CEO of the St. David’s Foundation, with Marsha Wier, housed in our headquarters between our dedicated staff Executive Director of Meals on Wheels location at 3227 East 5th members, ensuring quick, Central Texas In-Home Care, and Street, where it can continue to informed assessments of the Adam Hauser, President/CEO of offer its high quality of services needs of the people we serve and Meals on Wheels Central Texas to people who have functional prompt delivery of our services As you know, last year, Helping limitations and need assistance to homebound older adults and the Aging, Needy and Disabled, with activities of daily living. people with disabilities. Inc. (HAND), a 41-year-old nonprofit that provides in-homeHaving all of our programs under We thank the St. David’s care for low-income seniors and one roof means easier access for Foundation for its support in the people with disabilities, became our neighbors in need to our wide acquisition and relocation of this part of the Meals on Wheels continuum of holistic services. It important community service.

Use Brakes To Go and Help Homebound Central Texans! Getting your vehicle serviced by Brakes To Go, Austin’s mobile brake repair business, not only saves you time, and protects you and your car; it also helps the homebound older adults we serve.

For every brake job they perform, Brakes To Go will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels Central Texas to support our life-sustaining services. Learn more at brakestogo.com

“I am so Thankful for Meals on Wheels” (cont.) The fact that she needs the meantime, she’s grateful for assistance at all frustrates her. MOWCTX and our volunteers, “I’ve been very independent “You realize how good people all my life and I don’t want to are when something like this give that up,” she says. “I have happens. I can truly say that some major medical problems, good has come out of all of it. It’s but I’m working on dealing with given me a great opportunity to them so that I can stay here (in become a better person. I am so her apartment) and take care of MOWCTX client Linda Richards with thankful for Meals on Wheels.” Lila Chirogianis, daughter of Meals on myself,” she tells a visitor. In Wheels volunteer Jason Chirogianis