Issue 7 / Volume 4 April 2019
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WWW.MOWDIABLOREGION.ORG
   
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Greetings:
Volunteer. It's a word that immediately sparks feeling and response. It can be a call to action, a chance to make a difference, a way to get connected in your community, a lifestyle choice to stay healthy and active.
For MOWDR, the word volunteer brings a smile and a feeling of gratitude every time. To say that we could not survive without the support of our amazing nearly 1,500 volunteers is putting it mildly. With the senior population growing, capacity to meet the needs of its most vulnerable individuals is an ongoing challenge. Enter the volunteer workforce!
MOWDR volunteers change lives every day with the work they do. Not only are our senior clients receiving this generous support, our staff relies on these dedicated individuals to help them deliver services.
In this nationally recognized month of appreciating volunteers in communities across the country, MOWDR would like to add our thanks. Thank you for delivering meals and well checks. Thank you for serving lunch in our cafes. Thank you for visiting the isolated and lonely. Thank you for helping with administrative tasks, special projects, and events. And thank you, all of you, for sharing your time, your talents, and your caring hearts. We could not do this without you.
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Carrie Blanding
Interim Executive Director
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MOWDR Volunteers in Action - A Futures Explored Team Deliver
The Futures Explored program, located in the heart of downtown Lafayette, is an adult services program providing training in both work-related and life skills for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program offers volunteer opportunities for small work groups. Meals on Wheels Diablo Region is fortunate to have three Futures Explored volunteer teams delivering three routes for us each week.
Emily, Kaleigh, Dina, and their group leader Judy deliver meals to 15 of our home-bound clients on Tuesdays. They travel together as a group and take turns bringing the meals to the door. They have gotten to know many of the clients and look forward to seeing them every week.
When asked what they like best about delivering meals Emily enthusiastically responds, “I like giving back to the community!” Even
with fifteen deliveries to complete, the team members find time to talk
with clients. Dina says, “The clients are always very grateful and like
to talk.”
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The team is proud of the work they are doing and understand that without these meals some of the seniors they see would be faced with hunger and isolation. The reality hits close to home for Dina whose father started receiving Meals on Wheels last year. She says, “My dad really enjoys the meals.”
When they are not volunteering, the team members lead busy and full lives. Kaleigh is a talented clarinet player and Emily and Dina will be cruising to the Bahamas with Futures Explored next year.
MOWDR would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Futures Explored team and all the adult services programs who volunteer for us. Thank you all for a job well done!
To learn more about opportunities to volunteer, contact Lee Davenport at ldavenport@mowdr.org or 925.954.8736.
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Habit of Giving -
Barbara's Legacy Gift
This month, we remember with gratitude our friend Barbara W.
Recently she left us a legacy gift. If you are not familiar with the term, a legacy gift is part of an estate plan. It takes the needs of your loved ones into consideration, while helping support a charity that is meaningful to you.
Barbara’s foresight will help us continue to meet the needs of vulnerable seniors in our community.
Barbara was an independent and strong woman. The daughter of German immigrants, she was a world traveler and a proud member of the Officer's Wives Club and Whale Watchers Society.
After
her husband passed, she lived on her own, and some years ago she became
ill and ended up in the hospital.
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For a couple of months after she
returned home, she was unable to cook or shop for herself. She contacted
us for support with meals.
She was impressed by the caring volunteers who delivered food—and smiles—to her home. This experience had a big impact on her, and she decided to leave part of her estate to Meals on Wheels Diablo Region.
“We are so grateful to Barbara! Her legacy lives on through this generous gift in her will,” said Carrie Blanding, Interim Executive Director.
Join us in remembering Barbara’s legacy to seniors in our community!
If you would like to learn more about how you can support seniors by donating to MOWDR please visit our website. To receive information about making a legacy gift, please email Erica Marcus or phone her at
(925) 937.8315.
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A Matter of Balance: Volunteers Helping Seniors Maintain Their Balance
A Matter
of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls is one of many comprehensive programs offered through Meal on Wheels Diablo Region (MOWDR). Alayne Balke is MOWDR’s Fall Prevention Program Manager and a certified Matter of Balance Master Trainer. Alayne received her certification from MaineHealth’s Partnership for Healthy Living and has gone on to train and certify more than a dozen volunteer coaches.
A program like this one has potential to make a measurable improvement to fall risks for seniors, and Alayne shares that working with volunteers in this capacity has allowed a much further reach for the number of seniors receiving this support.
"Since we began this program in 2017 we have conducted 19 workshops throughout the county, this represents over 300 hours of class time. It simply would not have been possible for us to do this without the dedication of our coaches. All of our volunteer coaches bring expertise and real desire to connect with the participants. They also bring delicious snacks as well! The coaches frequently tell me that they get a great sense of satisfaction knowing their groups are leaving the workshops feeling empowered to prevent falls," she explains.
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Two
certified coaches teach each 8-week course. Classes are two hours long
and workshops are limited to 12 participants. Workshop participants
learn how to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their
environment to reduce fall risk factors, and practice simple exercises
to increase strength and balance.
Coaches
follow strict guidelines to ensure that movement exercises are
performed correctly and teach problem solving skills that are necessary
if falls occur. The classes also offer social benefits as participants
encourage one another throughout the learning process.
We would like to thank all our dedicated volunteer coaches—many of whom are affiliated with other senior service providers—for taking the time out of their busy schedules to bring this vital training to seniors. Please click here to view a list of our awesome coaches.
If you are interested in becoming A Matter of Balance coach or for more
information about the program, please contact Alayne Balke, at 925.891.4791 or abalke@mowdr.org.
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MOWDR Volunteers Get Back Lots of Love
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Life seems to get busier every day, and it can be hard to find the time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family, and your community. The right match can help you reduce stress, find friends, connect with the community and helping others can also help protect your mental and physical health. Meals on Wheels Diablo Region has a variety of volunteer opportunities that will accommodate almost any schedule and match you with an opportunity that brings you the most satisfaction. Contributing to the enrichment of our clients' lives is guaranteed to bring you fun and fulfillment and we're here to let you in on a wonderful fact— the gratitude and love they give in return is immeasurable. We're sure you'll agree when you read these quotes from a few of our clients.
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To learn more about opportunities to volunteer, please visit our website or contact Lee Davenport at ldavenport@mowdr.org or 925.954.8736.
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See what Meals on Wheels Diablo Region has been up to this past month in our photo gallery! Click here to enjoy our photos.
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Welcome to the Meals on Wheels Diablo Region family of volunteers! Click here to see the list of our newest volunteers.
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Check out upcoming Meals on Wheels Diablo Region and other community events coming near you! Click here to learn more.
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Special thank you to our generous donors who have given as tribute to or in memory of their loved ones. Click here to see the list.
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Read recent articles featuring Meals on Wheels Diablo Region in the community.
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Discover the nutritional benefits of the celery this month by visiting our
"Artful Aging" blog.
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