Volunteer Updates 2023
AGING & DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER [ADRC]
721 Oxford Avenue
Room 1130
Eau Claire WI 54703
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
715.839.4735
1.888.338.4636
tty: use Relay (711)
Meals on Wheels and Senior Dining Volunteers:
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our Volunteer Update Newsletter! First and foremost, thank you for your dedication and compassion towards to Meals on Wheels and Senior Dining Programs. Our seniors would not receive this service without every single one of you!
For many of you I may not have had the opportunity to meet you in person, my name is Betsy Henck and I am the ADRC Manager that oversees the Nutrition Program along with a few others. I wanted to get this newsletter out for a few reasons but I thought it was important to provide some updates and share information that may not be known by all. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at my email: betsy.henck@eauclairecounty.gov or my direct line at 715-839-6259.
www.eauclaireadrc.org
ECC.ADRC
To give a little bit of background Eau Claire County’s Nutrition Program will be celebrating it’s 50 year Anniversary in 2023! That’s a lot of meals prepared and delivered! As we continue to grow our program we are excited to share we are in the process of building a new Central Kitchen which will be co-located with the Eau Claire County Highway Facility and are hopeful to be moving in this Spring. The new location will be at 5061 US Hwy 53 Eau Claire, while we don’t foresee a lot of change to our volunteers it will bring lots of positives to the program, further efficiencies, provide new cooking equipment and continued hope for the future of our program. We are hopeful to have a Volunteer Appreciation Event in the new location and will keep you updated on that in the coming months.
If you would like to see updates on the new facility, a live camera found at this website can show in real-time the new location: Eau Claire County Highway Department OxBlue Construction Time-Lapse Camera in Eau Claire, WI
Eligibility for Meals on Wheels:
A home visit is necessary prior to service. To qualify for Meals on Wheels, you must be:
• 60 years of age or older or the spouse or caregiver of someone who qualifies.
• A younger person with a disability who lives with an older eligible person participating in the program.
• Homebound - except for medical appointments, family gatherings, etc.
• Unable to participate in Senior Dining at a local senior dining meal site.
• Unable to obtain food and prepare nutritious meals for yourself on a daily basis.
If you are enrolled with Family Care (Inclusa and My Choice WI) or IRIS, meals must be an approved as part of your care plan.
Meals on Wheels Funding:
The Nutrition Program is partially funded with limited Federal Older Americans Act and state grants.
• Meals are available on a contribution basis for eligible participants. A contribution request letter is mailed to participants on a monthly basis. Contributions are not collected at time of meal delivery.
• The full cost of each meal is $8.80.
• Eau Claire County suggests a contribution of $4.00 per meal. If you can afford to contribute more, please do so. While contributions are voluntary, they are essential to keep the program running. No eligible person will be denied a meal based on their contribution amount.
• All contributions are confidential and are used to provide more meals.
• Quest/SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (FoodShare) is accepted.
Please consider making a contribution to the Nutrition Program to support Meals on Wheels. We gratefully accept donations for participant services and program expansion. Consider making a memorial gift in memory of a loved one.
Meals on Wheels Contributions
Eligible participants are not “charged” for a meal. Meals on Wheels has a suggested contribution amount of $4.00 per meal to help offset rising costs of food and delivery.
Contributions can be made a few different ways:
Make checks payable to “Meals on Wheels” and send to:
Aging & Disability Resource Center, ATTN: Meals on Wheels, 721 Oxford Ave. Room 1130, Eau Claire WI 54703.
Call our office at 715-839-4886 to make a contribution via credit card
To make an online contribution, visit http:// www.eauclaireadrc.org, click on Nutrition Services in the left column, and then click on the “Donate” button.
If you would like to use your QUEST card to make your contribution, please contact the Meals on Wheels office at 715-839-4886
Current Routes and their pick up locations/times:
3 Rural routes are delivered by paid staff to the outer parts of Eau Claire County
Information given to new MOW Participants:
Senior Dining Site Locations/Times
Augusta Senior Center Monday-Friday at 12:00 pm call 715-286-2953 to make your reservation by noon the previous day.
St. John’s Apartments Monday-Friday at 11am; call 715-839-4886 to make your reservation by 1:00 the day prior.
Fairchild Community Center Every Wednesday at 12:15pm; call 715-8394886 to make your reservation by the Tuesday before at 1:00 PM.
LE Phillips Senior Center Evening Meal
please call the ADRC office by the Friday before at 3:00 PM to make your reservation.
Meals are available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm.
Meals cannot be left when you are not at home – Please schedule your appointments or outings before or after meal delivery time so you can be home to receive your meal. We cannot leave your meal in a cooler, on the table, etc if you are not home.
Cancellations – If you are not going to be home for the delivery of your meal, please call our office at (715) 839-4886 by 1:00 pm one business day prior.
Deliveries – Most meals are delivered between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm Monday through Friday. (Participants living in rural parts of Eau Claire County deliveries may be after 1:00 PM) Please be appropriately dressed and ready to admit the delivery person or have a designated entrance unlocked. Sidewalks and steps must be cleared of snow and ice.
Did you know?
Eau Claire County provides meals to Chippewa and Trempealeau County as well as all the meals for Home Delivered Meals & Senior Congregate Dining.
Total Meals Provided to Eau Claire County ONLY:
2019: 67,947
2020: 81,865
2021: 90,231
2022: 96,007
*On the high end Meals on Wheels staff have prepared, cooked and packaged over 650 meals in one day.
Average number of volunteers:
2019: 86
2020: 106
2021: 160
2022: 169
All route sheets are collected at the end of the week and manually entered into our computer system. Every meal has to be accounted for whether it was delivered or not. Clear, accurate records of the route sheets is imperative to documentation.
If you’d like updated information to appear on the route sheets call or text the MOW office notes left on route sheets may not be seen in a timely manner.
You can schedule yourself for a route or take yourself off a route with our online scheduling system called Vic Net. If you’re interested in having access email Betsy Henck at betsy.henck@eauclairecounty.gov or call 715-839-6259.
March for Meals Campaign
Eau Claire County is celebrating 50 years of the Nutrition Program in 2023! While Senior Nutrition is partially funded by the Older American’s Act, there are not enough funds to be fully operational on that funding alone. Contributions, sponsorships, and outside revenue are just some of the ways we continue to provide hot, ready to eat home delivered meals and senior congregate dining options to Eau Claire County Seniors.
One year of Meals on Wheels per participant is less than the cost as one day in the hospital. 8% of seniors in Wisconsin struggles with hunger. Meals on Wheels can help support homebound seniors by making sure no senior goes hungry.
Your contribution has a direct impact in your Eau Claire County Community. March for Meals offers a wonderful opportunity to support Eau Claire County Meals on Wheels by sponsoring at various levels of support. You can make a contribution by sending a check payable to “Meals on Wheels” to 721 Oxford Ave Suite 1130 Eau Claire WI 54703 or by emailing betsy.henck@eauclairecounty.gov.
*Donations are tax deductible
Volunteer Orientation Reminders:
For questions, confirmations, cancellations, reporting “no answers” please call MOW phone at 715-839-4886.
We also use a cell phone for communication, that number is 715-4952184.
Pick Up and Delivery Procedure
√ Pick up cooler, thermal bag, clipboard with route instructions
√ Count the number of meals needed from route sheet, staying alert to cancellations or new additions to your route. Check cooler to make sure it contains the correct number of meals. Open thermal bag only long enough to confirm that the number of meals is correct for today’s route. If you are short meal(s), or have incorrect meals, call the office. Please do this before leaving for your route to allow time for correction if necessary.
√ Some days there may be additional items to deliver on the route, this could include newsletters, extra food, or other communication flyers. Please ensure each person receives the items.
√ When delivering be sure to read delivery instructions each time thoroughly. Take time at each stop to greet each person. Please deliver meals in the order listed on the route sheet as regular meal time delivery is important.
√ On the route sheet place an X in the box when participants receive their meal. Write “not home” if they did not receive the meal and contact MOW immediately. Please do not leave a meal if nobody is home.
Initial and total the route sheet when the route is completed. Return equipment to pick up area. It is important to complete the route and return the equipment within 2 hours to pick up area.
Schedules. If you should have to cancel on the day you are scheduled to deliver meals, please call the office as far in advance as possible and we will arrange for a replacement.
What to do if Recipient Does Not Answer the Door
• Verify you are at the correct address and verify route instructions.
• If comfortable doing so:
Try the door and if unlocked, (if no pets listed on route sheet instructions) open it and see if the person is home. Call out their name when entering. If the door is locked, try another door or look in a window, walk around the house to see if they are in the yard.
Try calling participant phone number located on the route sheet.
If you do not locate the person, immediately call the Aging & Disability Resource Center, 715-839-4886 from your cell phone.
• If you should choose to call the recipient’s home phone number, you can block your number from their caller id by dialing *67 prior to dialing theirs.
Our staff will call the person and if they are home, we will instruct them to answer the door as you are trying to deliver their meal. If they do not answer, we will instruct you to write “Not Home” on the route sheet and finish the route. We will follow up on the situation.
NOTE It is important that you call the Aging & Disability Resource Center when someone doesn’t answer. Many times, the person is at home, but didn’t hear you because they are hard of hearing or were in the bathroom, basement or were sleeping. If you call the ADRC immediately from their driveway it will be easier to still deliver the meal in that situation.
NOTE If you have a left over meal please give it to another participant, they are not expected to contribute for that extra meal. If it’s the last person on the route that doesn’t answer, you may enjoy the meal yourself. Once it comes back to the kitchen it will be thrown out.
NOTE Do not leave a meal if someone is NOT home unless specifically instructed to do so in some very rare instances on the route sheet or by staff.
Emergency Procedures
Keeping calm is the key to handling an emergency situation.
If it is clearly a medical emergency, call 911
Do not move an injured person unless in immediate danger. (near a fire, gas leak etc.)
When you have called for help, if the person is conscious assure him/her that help is on the way. Keep the person calm.
If appropriate, cover him/her with a blanket.
Remain with the person until emergency services arrives.
Call the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County, 715-839-4886 and inform of the situation.
When emergency medical staff arrives, continue to deliver the remainder of the route.
If you are not sure if it is a medical emergency, call the Aging & Disability Resource Center and we will help you evaluate the situation.
Please demonstrate respect for the situation by maintaining confidentially after the event by not discussing what happened with the other people on the route or your friends & family.
