2013 Spring All Pages

To build a stronger caring community, Calgary Meals on Wheels promotes health and independence by providing quality, nutritious, and affordable meals to people in need of our services.

Spring 2013

in this issue...YYC Hot Chocolate Fest Winners

Meet Our New Volunteer

Wall of Gratitude

Volunteer News

Holiday Reminders

Donation Form

did you know?The countdown is on for the move into our new building! With 40 trades people on the work site daily, construction is quickly progressing and the new building is close to being finished. Everyone from our clients, volunteers, donors, and our Calgary Meals on Wheels team are eagerly anticipating the move to the new building. The exterior of the building is nearly complete and the detailed interior work is underway. The production kitchen is close to completion and supplies have starting being delivered. It is hard to believe we are so close to the finish line!

A letter from the Executive DirectorDear Clients, Donors, Volunteers, Members, and Staff:

As we break away from the cold grip of winter and start to feel the warmth of spring, we prepare for one on the biggest and most exciting events in Calgary Meals on Wheels’ history! Our relocation to 5759 – 80th Avenue SE Calgary is right around the proverbial corner and we couldn’t be more excited. This is the last full fiscal quarter we will be producing meals from the Macleod Trail location. Our home of over 30 years has served us well; however, we are ready to retire the timeworn building and settle into our new location.

I sincerely would like to thank the volunteers and clients for their open-ness and feedback. Your input has been used to aid in our transition and in making our communication as clear as possible. I would also like to thank all the donors that have supported a space from which Calgary Meals on Wheels can confidently grow with greater capability.

Although we are still working hard to raise capital for our new home, your current donations have secured a spot for our organization long into the future. With that being said, feeding the hungry, promoting independence, and strengthening our community is now sustainable for years to come. Looking forward, I am excited to work with all of you in our modern space and to take part in the joy this new chapter will bring.

Thank you all,

Janice CurtisExecutive DirectorCalgary Meals on Wheels

NEWSfeed

5Calgary Meals on Wheels’ Annual General Meeting2:00 pm Monday, May 13 2013 at the new building 5759 - 80 Ave SE

And the Award Goes to...

“Giving chocolate to others is an intimate form of communication, a sharing of deep, dark secrets”, says Milton Zelman, publisher of Chocolate News. And so began the month of February 2013 with the official launch of YYC Hot Chocolate Fest and the sharing of deep, dark, delicious hot chocolate beverages created by the participating vendors in this month long fundraising initiative supporting Calgary Meals on Wheels.

The Festival is an annual competition between vendors showcasing their creativity. Participating coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, lounges, and chocolatiers throughout the city offered their specially created Signature Hot Chocolates. Customers were encouraged to sample the drinks then go online to rate them. The vendor with the best customer ratings would be awarded the trophy and coveted title of Calgary’s Best Hot Chocolate 2013 and Calgary’s Best Alcoholic Hot Chocolate 2013.

“The YYC Hot Chocolate Fest has just wrapped up for another year”, said Janice Curtis, Executive Director Calgary Meals on Wheels, “but already we have vendors contacting us asking if they can participate next year. They don’t want to miss out.”

The 2013 YYC Hot Chocolate Fest Winners

Most Funds Raised Award: Fratello Analog Café with a donated amount of $500.Calgary’s Best Alcoholic Hot Chocolate 2013: Cibo for their Specialty Hot Chocolate - the TomassoCalgary’s Best Hot Chocolate 2013: Choklat for their impressive Specialty Hot Chocolate – the OMG

Meet Our New VolunteerAman started volunteering with Calgary Meals on Wheels in September, 2012. He drives twice a week for one of our longer routes in Calgary’s Northeast. When we first asked if he could drive the long route through tough winter conditions, he answered – “no problem”.

Aman is studying for his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary. We asked Aman what brought him to Calgary Meals on Wheels? He mentioned that volunteer work would look good on his resume and he wanted to make a contribution to his community; however, he did not realize how much he would enjoy visiting our clients. In Aman’s day-to-day world where most of his time is spent on a computer working alone, this route has provided him the opportunity to meet new people. He suggested that students should volunteer not only to strengthen their resumes and give to their community but also to meet and talk with new people, improve on communication skills, and hear some remarkable real life stories. Aman’s favorite client stories come from our war veterans. He says their accounts are “frankly amazing”!

Our new building located at 5759 - 80th Avenue SE is almost complete!

One of the YYC Hot Chocolste Fest vendors, Waves Ceffee House on 17th, shows us how they make their Specialty Hot Chocolate.

Volunteer Aman Minhus drives twice a week for one of Calgary Meals on Wheels’ longer routes.

Wall of Gratitude Thank you from all of us at Calgary Meals on Wheels for all of your time and effort spent helping us thrive!

Thank you to all who have provided valuable feedback by completing our volunteer survey. The survey assists Calgary Meals on Wheels in future planning and statistical reporting. Thank you to the volunteers who have delivered flowers and birthday gifts to our clients. Our clients tell us how thankful they are to receive the uplifting gifts every time they are delivered.We want to extend a huge thank you to the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. They have created over 800 placemats for our clients and school children. They absolutely loved them!

Volunteer NewsIt’s Snowing Volunteers!

What do we wish for in the Calgary Meals on Wheels volunteer department? Another snow-storm would be nice! In early January, we had a shortage of volunteers to deliver meals when the snow started falling. CBC Calgary News heard of our dilemma via Twitter and announced our need for more volunteers in their news broadcast. The next morning we were overwhelmed with requests to volunteer. From the calls we received that day, we gained over 30 new volunteers!

Home Instead Senior Care of Calgary in our kitchen with a very generous donation.

Collection Day No More

We are happy to report that we no longer have a spe-cial designated day for collections. Most of the clients have moved to a monthly debit or credit card pay-ment. We do, however, have a receipt book in the back of the clipboard for any clients who prefer to pay when we deliver meals. Also, envelopes are provided in the back of the clipboards to store cheques or cash until your route is complete. If you have received payment from a client, please be sure to mark the amount you have received on the delivery sheet.

Gentle Reminder - If you have a change of any of your contact information please give us a call so we can update your file.

{ }

The Trinity Women of St. Barnabas Church have recently made a wonderful donation.

Donor Shout-OutThe Trinity Women of St. Barnabas Church have recently made a wonderful donation to Calgary Meals on Wheels. The Trinity Women get together to help the parish with functions. They also do fundraising events, their main fundraiser being the Bazaar which is held on the first Saturday of November. All the funds they receive from these events are then distributed locally, nationally and internationally. We thank the Trinity Women of St. Barnabas for choosing Calgary Meals on Wheels as one of their local charities. Thank you Trinity Women of St. Barnabas!

Home Instead Senior Care of Calgary is an organization dedicated to providing quality personalized home care services to seniors, allowing them to stay in their homes safely and independently with a higher quality of life. Their goal is to build strong, trusting relationships between each client and CAREGiver. Home Instead provides companionship, home helper services, personal care, 24/7 care, dementia care and so much more.The Home Instead Senior Care Foundation recently made a generous donation to Calgary Meals on Wheels; and so begins a wonderful partnership where we work together to fulfill our commitment to our community and to make a positive difference in each life we touch. Thank you to Home Instead Senior Care!

The Move, Our Clients, and VolunteersThe impact our move will have on our clients and volunteers has always been at the forefront in our planning. We have developed a communication plan in partnership with Mount Royal University to minimize the impact our move will have on all stakeholders and keep our lines of communication open. From our planning, the move will minimally impact our clients and volunteers.

Our service to our clients will be uninterrupted by the move. The only change that our clients will experience will be with their hot main meal; instead of a hot main meal, our clients will receive a chilled main meal that they can reheat at their convenience. There are great benefits to delivering a chilled meal to our clients rather than a hot meal. Chilled meals lock in freshness, nutrition, and enhance overall food safety. All other meals and meal options will remain the same and our volunteers will deliver them at the same time.

Our recent volunteer depot meetings regarding our move were a success and thank you to those who were able to attend. The depots at Southwood, Latter Day Saints, Killarney/Glengarry, and St. Simeon will not change as a result of our move; however, we are planning to find a new depot in the Northwest area of Calgary in order to make deliveries more convenient for our volunteers.

For volunteers, our move will not have an effect on our routes, route numbers, delivery times, or the types of positions or roles volunteers currently have. There will only be a change to the volunteers that pick up their coolers and start their route from 3610 Macleod Trail SE. Volunteers that work out of this space will need to go to the new building in the Great Plains Industrial park. The Macleod Trail building will be closed. Thank you for helping to make the Calgary Meals on Wheels transition as smooth as possible. Enhancing communication for all those affected by our move is our top priority. If you have any questions resulting from the information we have provided, please contact our office at (403)243-2834 and we will answer any questions you may have. You can also email your questions, comments, or concerns to [email protected]. At Calgary Meals on Wheels, our mission remains to promote health and independence by providing quality, nutritious, and affordable meals to people in need of our services.

Clients’ Frequently Asked Questions1. How will my meals change?• Your cold lunch meal will remain exactly the same• Your hot supper meal will now be delivered to you chilled• Our Frozen Entrée meals will remain the same

2. Will the menu change?No, not initially; however, we are excited that we will be able to create new recipes and menu items once we move in our new home.

3. Will the packaging change?No.

4. Will the cost of my meals change?No.

5. Will my invoicing change?No.

6. Will my meals be delivered at the same time?Yes. Our friendly and dedicated volunteers will still be delivering your meals to your door as they always have between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. However, our new facility will give us the potential to offer alternative delivery times in the future.

7. How will I re-heat my chilled supper meal?• Microwave• Conventional oven but not a toaster oven• Transfer to pan and reheat on stove top

8. How do I need to store my meals?From the labeled date, safely in a fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months

9. Why will my main hot meal now be chilled?Our professional chef and food service team will continue to prepare delicious meals as we always have using the highest quality ingredients. In our new kitchen our meals will be blast chilled to lock in freshness, nutrition, and enhance food safety.

10. When will this change start?Early summer 2013. We will let you know the exact date as we get closer to our move.

11. Where is the new building?5759 - 80th Avenue SEIt is located in the Great Plains Industrial Park in Southeast Calgaryon the corner of Glenmore Trail and 52nd Street SE.

Spread the Love

You can order posters to display around your community!Call (403)243-2834 and ask for

Calgary Meals on Wheels posters today!

Yes! I want to donate to Calgary Meals on Wheels!Name:_______________________________________Phone:________________________

Address:________________________________City/Prov:____________________________

Postal Code:________________ Email:___________________________________________

Enclosed is my donation in the amount of: m$25 m$50 m$100 mOther $_________________

Paid by (check one): mCheque mVisa mMastercard

Credit Card Number:___________________________________Expiry Date: __ __ / __ __

Print Name as it appears on card:_________________________________________________

m I prefer to donate in 12 monthly installments of: $_________ starting: (date)________________

Thank you for supporting Calgary Meals on Wheels! You will receive a tax receipt by mail for all donations of $10 or more.

I would like my donation to support: m Capital Campaign (New Building)m Regular Meal Program Supportm Hot Soup School Programm Working Homeless Lunch Programm Greatest need

Calgary Meals on Wheels 2013 Spring NewsletterCharitable Registration Number: 11882374 RR0001

You can submit your donation by mail to:

Calgary Meals on Wheels3610 Macleod Trail SECalgary, AB T2G 2P9

or online at :

www.mealsonwheels.com

-------------!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To order meals for yourself or someone you love, give our Client Services Department a call at (403)243-2834 or email us your name and phone number to [email protected]

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on W

heels (403) 243 2834

Calgary Meals on Wheels can prepare and deliver nutritious and affordable meals to your door providing you with meals 7 days a week regardless of your age or finances.

www.mealsonwheels.com phone: 403 243 2834 fax: 403 243 8438 email: [email protected] Macleod Trail SE, Calgary Alberta T2G 2P9

HEROESThose that give the

ir time and talent to help others in need are

Calgary’s

Share your super-abilities and make a heroic impact in your community

Sign Up Today

To volunteer with Calgary Meals on Wheels, please

call or email our Volunteer Coordinator at:

(403) 243-2834

[email protected]

For more information including current volunteer

opportunities, please visit www.mealsonwheels.com

Holiday RemindersWe will be closed on the following statutory holidays. Clients NOT requiring a holiday meal will need to contact Client Services directly at (403)243-2834.

Calgary Meals on Wheels3610 Macleod Trail SECalgary, Alberta T2G 2P9www.mealsonwheels.comt (403)243-2834f (403)243-8438

Victoria Day Monday, May 20th

Canada Day Monday, July 1st Heritage Day Monday, August 5th

Labour Day Monday, September 2nd

Thanksgiving Day Monday, October 14th

Remembrance Day Monday, November 11th Christmas Day Wednesday, December 25th

Boxing Day Thursday, December 26th

New Year’s Day Wednesday, January 1st