Moderate-length speech (approximately 5 – 7 minutes)
I’d like to take a minute to tell you a story.
Last winter, a 78-year-old man named Bill went out to get the mail. It was in the middle of a snow storm and Bill had to walk 30 feet down his driveway to reach the mailbox. Bill has Alzheimer’s and gets confused easily. Even though he was outside in 30-degree weather, he was only wearing boxers.
Bill didn’t make it to the mailbox.

He slipped and fell in a heavy snow bank.

He wasn’t able to get out of the snow bank on his own.

Bill lives alone…
Fortunately, Bill is a Meals on Wheels recipient. Not too long after he fell, his volunteer came to deliver that day’s meals. She found him in the snow bank and was shocked. She helped him get up and ran to her car for a blanket and her cell phone. She immediately wrapped him tightly in the blanket and called 911. She also called Meals on Wheels’ Social Work team, who immediately got in touch with Bill’s caregivers.
The paramedics took him to the hospital and were able to get his body temperature back up and treat him for shock. Bill’s story has a happy ending – he was okay and is still able to live safely at home, with a bit of assistance. [Pause]
But what would Bill have done if someone wasn’t checking in on him that day?
[10 second pause]
My name is [NAME] and I am a [title / volunteer / board member] at Meals on Wheels for WNY. Thank you for inviting me to come and speak to you today about Meals on Wheels. I am a passionate advocate for the work that Meals on Wheels does – work that you can clearly see is about so much more than just food.
[If appropriate, share your personal story. Why are you at Meals on Wheels? Why does the mission matter to you? Begin with “I feel so strongly about Meals on Wheels because…”]
I want to take a few minutes to share some facts about Meals on Wheels that you may not know.

  • We serve more than 3,500 homebound elderly and disabled individuals each year.
  • We deliver approximately 900,000 meals each year to the homebound.
  • This wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of MOW staff and more than 1,500 volunteers.
  • Recipients receive two nutritionally balanced meals each day – a hot lunch and cold supper, along with a few minutes of conversation.
  • We also offer dietary options – such as diabetic, renal, ground and bland – that help recipients stay healthy at home.
  • While getting a nutritious meal, recipients also receive a well-being check. Volunteers report any concerns back to MOW for follow-up by our in-house social workers with the clients and their caregivers. Sometimes, we find people who are injured and in distress and we are often able to contact emergency services in time to save someone’s life.
  • For some recipients, their MOW visitor is the only person they speak to all day.
  • We request a voluntary contribution from our clients but we NEVER turn a qualifying recipient away due to an inability to pay.

As you may realize, the community is aging at a tremendous rate. By 2015, 1 in 4 residents of Erie County will be over the age of 60. The fastest growing age group is those 85 and older.
In most recent years, we’ve experienced increases of demand of 3 – 5% per year. This demand will only continue to grow in the coming years as our community ages and health care reform encourages “aging in place.” Unfortunately, government funding continues to decline. This dichotomy is shocking when you consider the fact that it costs about $2,600 a year for MOW to feed a senior. The average skilled nursing facility costs more than $100,000 a year. [If questioned, about 60% of our funds come from government sources.]

[If time permits, share more details about client eligibility and volunteer assignments….
Some of you in this room may have a loved one, friend, or neighbor who may need Meals on Wheels. I’d like to share the qualifications for meal delivery with you. To qualify, individuals must be:

  • Over the age of 60 OR permanently disabled OR terminally ill AND
  • “Unable to safely shop for or prepare meals”
  • This covers a lot of ground and can mean many different things... It could mean that someone is diabetic and shouldn’t use knives because his or her hands shake. It could mean that someone has dementia and forgets to turn the oven off after cooking. It could mean that someone can no longer safely drive and doesn’t live in safe walking distance to the store, etc.
  • Clients receive two delicious, medically appropriate meals a day and a few minutes of warm, caring conversation with one of our volunteers.
  • If you think you know someone who needs service, please encourage them to call Meals on Wheels. Our Social Work team will explain the program to them and see if they are eligible for meal delivery.

Many of you may be looking for additional ways to give back to the community and/or additional ways to spend your free time. Volunteering with Meals on Wheels is a quick and easy way to make an impact. When you “share an hour, you can save a life.”
Volunteers deliver an hour a day – mid-day – weekdays – and deliver as frequently or infrequently as they’d like. They are paired with a site near their work, home or school – wherever they are mid-day.
Each delivery day, two volunteers are paired together – a server and a driver. They use the turn-by-turn instructions Meals on Wheels provides to go from house to house. The server hops out to deliver the meals and spend a couple minutes talking with the client.
The route ends back at the site where the volunteers drop off the equipment and report any concerns to the Site Manager for follow up by one of Meals on Wheels’ social workers. If you’d like more information on volunteering, [see me after today’s meeting], [grab a Meals on Wheels brochure], or [call the Meals on Wheels office.]
…]

We’re proud of the service we provide and believe that every senior has a right to remain independent for as long as possible. However, we need the community’s help to continue to provide this crucial service. There are numerous ways you can help:

  • Donate – We always need new donors and it’s easy to make a contribution directly through our website – mealsonwheelswny.org
  • Volunteer – We can always use volunteers for meal delivery. It takes just an hour a day during lunchtime and you can volunteer as frequently as you wish. Our volunteers can truly “share one hour, and save a life.”
  • Adopt-A-Route – We have a corporate volunteer program through which your company can “Adopt-A-Route.” A team of 8 – 10 of your employees agree to participate in deliveries, with each participating employee delivering just once per month.
  • Help us diversify revenue – We have a $7.5 million state-of-the art commissary capable of producing large quantities of safe, healthy food at very affordable prices. Consider us for your food service needs.

The work that Meals on Wheels for WNY does in the community is about so much more than just food.

  • It’s about healthy, nutritious, medically appropriate meals that improve the quality and length of life for our recipients.
  • It’s about a few minutes of conversation each day with volunteers who really care about the clients – volunteers who, in fact, become friends.
  • And, it’s about keeping a community safe and well while enabling independence.
  • Meals on Wheels is about peace of mind for caregivers.
  • It’s about choice for clients.
  • It’s about savings for taxpayers.
  • And, it’s about keeping a community whole and strong.

Thank you for your attention and your support as we work to nourish and enrich lives. If you would like to discuss any aspect of our program, please feel free to connect with me [or my team] after the program. Thank you.