YOU NAME IT! A Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F C O A

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C O A E M P L O Y E E U P D A T E S Angie Baney - Manager, Hendersonville Thrift Store (promotion) Daniel Carey - Director of Development (new hire) Edie Weichert - Program N O T S H R I N K I N G B A C K F R O M C O V I D - 1 9 Coordinator for Meals on Wheels The pandemic threw us a curveball…but we hit it out of (new hire) the park. Most organizations would shrink back when Glee Letterman - Hendersonville faced with the service and financial repercussions of Thrift Store Associate (temporary COVID-19, but not COA! Instead of closing ranks, we new hire) asserted ourselves. While we cannot predict which area of Henderson County will suddenly blow up with Meals on Jill Seidenfeden - Hendersonville Wheels referrals—resulting in a long waiting list—we take Thrift Store Associate (new hire) advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Kathleen Walsh - Client Services When the waiting list grows too large in any one area, we Coordinator (transition from Meals adjust by rearranging routes—or even adding routes—to on Wheels Coordinator) take off the pressure and serve clients in a timely manner. Nicola Singer – CARES Act Program Recently, our waiting list had grown too large along the Spartanburg Highway corridor. We studied the problem Coordinator (new hire, grant- and realized that a concentration of existing clients was funded) in three apartment complexes in the area. We combined Shirley Nazzaro – Program those apartment complexes into a new route we call the Coordinator for Meals on Wheels Flat Route (since apartments are also called “flats” in (new hire) other parts of the world). This opened-up space on Stephanie Cope - Etowah Thrift existing routes to absorb everyone on the waiting list in that area (and it made us seem very cool and Store Associate (new hire) international-sounding!). S H A R E T H E L O V E

The Council on Aging for Henderson County joins Meals on Wheels America and Subaru of America, Inc. in Sharing the Love this Holiday Season. The 13th annual Subaru Share the Love® Event will help deliver nutritious meals and compassion to Henderson County’s seniors Hendersonville, COA is proud to announce that it will be participating in the 2020 Subaru Share the Love Event as a member of Meals on Wheels America – one of four national Share the Love charitable partners supported through the campaign. From November 19, 2020, through January 4, 2021, F E D E R A L G R A N T S K E E P C O A Subaru of America will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the M O V I N G A N D G R O W I N G customer's choice of participating charities. K E I T H L O G A N , E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R “For the first time in the event’s 13-year history, the Council on Aging is partnering with Hunter Subaru and we could not When Congress passed the Families First Act in mid- be more pleased,” said Keith Logan, the March and the CARES Act at the end of March, it organization’s executive director. “With wasn’t clear how it would affect operations at the additional support generated from this event, Council on Aging. Both contained increased funding we expect to be able to expand and deepen our Meals on Wheels reach to overlooked and for senior nutrition programs supported under the homebound seniors in remote areas of Older Americans Act (congregate dining and home- Henderson County.” delivered meals). After many months, these funds finally cascaded down to the local level. Families Over the last 12 years, Subaru of America and its participating retailers have donated more First funding filtered down first: COA received than $176 million to its charity $100,000 to react to the pandemic and serve more partners. This year’s Subaru Share the Love clients. Most of this funding was channeled toward Event is on track to bring that total to over $200 million, proving there’s no the expansion of MOW routes that enabled us to limit to the amount of love we serve an additional 50-60 people. can all share. (continued on next page) For more information, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/sharethelove.

F E D E R A L G R A N T S C O N T I N U E D . . .

I n a d d i t i o n t o n u t r i t i o n s u p p o r t , C A R E S A c t f u n d i n g a l s o h a d p r o v i s i o n s f o r c a r e g i v e r a n d o t h e r s u p p o r t i v e s e r v i c e s . W e r e c e i v e d $ 9 , 0 0 0 f o r c a r e g i v e r s u p p o r t t h a t w i l l m o s t l y b e u s e d t o p r o v i d e a d d i t i o n a l r e s p i t e t o c a r e g i v e r s w h o a r e e v e n m o r e s t r e s s e d t a k i n g c a r e o f t h e i r l o v e d o n e s d u r i n g t h e s e d i f f i c u l t t i m e s . W e a l s o r e c e i v e d $ 1 5 , 0 0 0 t h a t w i l l b e u s e d t o p r o v i d e a p i l o t w i t h s e v e r a l c l i e n t s t o p r o v i d e s e l f - d i r e c t e d i n - h o m e c a r e . I n o t h e r w o r d s , t h e c l i e n t w i l l b e a b l e t o d e s i g n a t e s o m e o n e t h a t t h e y k n o w t o p r o v i d e i n - h o m e s e r v i c e s f o r t h e m a n d From Kat Nevel… h a v e t h a t p e r s o n g e t p a i d f o r t h e i r The Sammy Center was closed. s u p p o r t . T h i s i s h e l p f u l b e c a u s e t h e And then it reopened. And then d e m a n d f o r i n - h o m e s e r v i c e s h a s f a r it closed again. “Blame it on o u t s t r i p p e d t h e c a p a c i t y a m o n g l o c a l Rio” or, you guessed it, COVID- a g e n c i e s , e v e n b e f o r e C O V I D - 1 9 . 19. Difficult though it is to not enjoy a weekly repast in the F i n a l l y , w e r e c e i v e d $ 1 7 3 , 0 0 0 f r o m t h e company of others, we do so in C A R E S A c t f o r a d d i t i o n a l n u t r i t i o n the name of safety and the prevailing protocols issued by s e r v i c e s . T h e i n t e n t o f t h i s f u n d i n g i s the Governor’s Office. t o i d e n t i f y a d d i t i o n a l o l d e r a d u l t s i n t h e c o m m u n i t y w h o h a v e b e e n When we reopen yet again—and i m p a c t e d b y C O V I D - 1 9 a n d h a v e we will—masks are required at n u t r i t i o n n e e d s . T h e o p t i o n s f o r h o w all times (except when eating). t o s u p p o r t t h e s e i n d i v i d u a l s i s We look forward to returning to b o u n d e d o n l y b y o u r c r e a t i v i t y , our regularly scheduled i n c l u d i n g d e l i v e r y o f g r o c e r i e s , programming on Tuesdays, r e s t a u r a n t v o u c h e r s , f o o d s h i p m e n t s , Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10am for exercise and lunch s h e l f s t a b l e d e l i v e r i e s , a n d f r o z e n m e a l between 11-11:30am. d e l i v e r i e s . B e c a u s e t h i s p r o g r a m i s s e e k i n g n e w c l i e n t s a n d p r o v i d i n g n e w Exercise class will be limited o p t i o n s , w e h i r e d a p e r s o n t o o v e r s e e to 10 and lunch limited to 30. t h i s p r o g r a m . Meals may be enjoyed on-site or take away. The center closes T h i s f u n d i n g i s a v a i l a b l e u n t i l immediately following lunch. S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 1 o r u n t i l i t r u n s o u t , w h i c h e v e r c o m e s f i r s t . I f y o u a r e Stay tuned, stay healthy, and hope for the best. a w a r e o f o l d e r a d u l t s w h o c o u l d b e n e f i t f r o m t h i s s u p p o r t , p l e a s e l e t u s k n o w . Silver and Gold...Silver and Gold… N O R M A L H O U R S A T We’re channeling Burl Ives when we sing this song, but mostly we’re celebrating receipt of the Silver Seal of Transparency from Guidestar! B O T H T H R I F T S T O R E S Because of certain accounting and reporting standards met, the Council on Aging secured Silver Status from this respected national clearinghouse for nonprofits. You might recall we had secured the Bronze Seal in November and were rightly proud of that. But we did not rest on our Two of our best ways of reaching into bronze laurels. We updated information and posted additional financial the community—our Thrift records. Guidestar reviews our application, and we passed. And we will not be content with silver! We are “going for the gold” and will keep you Stores—are back in business and going posted. In all seriousness, these recognitions should give our staff, strong! volunteers, and supporters confidence in COA. We want folks to know their donations to us are responsibly received, used, and tracked. Credibility in the eyes of the community is important to us, and it is COVID-19 put them out of commission something that is earned not given. for several weeks last spring and summer, but they’ve roared back of late COVID-19 Safety Actions and are back to normal hours. Isn’t If you have volunteered with us or gone into one of our thrift stores in the last 6 normal nice?! So, when you want to months, you will have noticed the many procedural changes that we have put in place to protect our staff, volunteers, clients, and customers. But there may “get your shop on” and you’re out west… be some things that you haven’t seen. Following state and CDC guidelines, we head to the Etowah Thrift Store in the are doing the best we can to continue to serve our community as safely as Etowah Center on U.S.64 heading to possible. Health Checks: We ask all employees and volunteers to sign in each day and confirm that they are not running a fever or experiencing COVID-like Brevard. symptoms. Plexiglass: We’ve installed plexiglass barriers at the thrift store cashier areas and the front desk at the main office. Extra cleaning: We’ve been doing extra cleaning and sanitization in all of our areas. In addition, we are Or, if you’re an urbanite, then stop in having the restrooms cleaned daily at the main office and the Sammy Williams the Hendersonville Thrift Store at 802 Center. Masks: Masks are required in the thrift stores and in any public areas in Spartanburg Highway. Stores are open the Sammy Williams Center and the main office. In addition, MOW volunteers are wearing masks whenever packing meals outside, interacting with staff, and Tuesday-Friday between 10am-4pm and delivering to clients. Social distancing: We are trying to maintain at least 6’ in all on Saturday between 10am-1pm. interactions. Contactless delivery: MOW volunteers are asked to avoid contact with clients unless absolutely necessary. Minimizing gathering: All meetings of more than 3-4 people are being held virtually. MOW meal packing is being Donations can be dropped off Tue-Fri: done outside. HVAC: We are installing UV or ionizing filters in the HVAC systems 10am-3pm and Sat: 10am-1pm. If you at all of our locations. Limited Walk-in Clients: We continue to handle all need something picked up (larger community resource coordination via the phone. Liquid nutrition clients pop in to request their product but then staff brings it out to their vehicles. Only SHIIP furniture items), contact either store to clients are coming into the building and that is only occurring after an initial make an appointment. Proceeds from phone screen to minimize the face-to-face time. While some people in our community continue to balk at wearing face coverings, studies increasingly the Thrift Stores support Meals support the collective value of doing so (see CDC link, released Nov. 10). We on Wheels. Huzzah! humbly ask for your continued support when acting on behalf of COA and when visiting the stores. For your personal safety, we encourage you to continue to practice the 3 W’s: wash your hands often and thoroughly, wait 6 feet apart, and wear a mask.