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Meals On Wheels - Nourishing the Whole Person
Volunteer News
One Volunteer's Impact
By Madan Sriraman,
Friendly Visitor Volunteer
I started volunteering sometime around April 2009, so it's been just about two years that I have been with Meals On Wheels of San Francisco. A lot of people I know ask me why I do this, and what I value about volunteering. I wish I had some sublime or insightful answer to give them, but I don't. The most I can bring myself to say is that it's definitely very nice to get out of my head and to be of service to someone else, and build a solid relationship with that person in the process. It's been very simple, refreshing, easy and is as natural for me to do as brushing my teeth.
I visit Agripino once or twice every couple of weeks, and help him with his laundry while I do mine. Not only do I benefit immensely from his company, but an activity I thoroughly dreaded in the past is now made very pleasant thanks to his presence. It's really a win-win situation for me. While we're at the laundromat, we sit and pick each other's brains and have intense debates on a variety of topics that run the gamut from history/politics to a good down to earth discussion about life and relationships. There's nothing we don't talk about.
I've asked Agripino what he values about our relationship, and he says that he really values how well we are able to connect with each other on a very deeply personal level, and how much it lifts his spirits. It has the exact same effect on me. If anyone reading this is considering volunteering, I'll say this: Stop reading, make time, and sign up. I could give a dozen reasons why someone should do this, but does one really need a reason to do the right thing?
The Gala of the Year
Start shopping for your dress and get out your tuxedo because the 24th Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala is only two months away – Sunday, May 15th from 5 – 11pm at the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason. For the eighth year, Chef Nancy Oakes of Boulevard will lead the most illustrious line-up of culinary talent in Northern California, in addition to some of the most amazing wineries this area has to offer. It's an epicurean extravaganza with amazing auction items you will not want to miss! Support from last year's event raised over $1.24 million, enough funding to provide 300,000 home-delivered meals to frail, isolated seniors in San Francisco. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at www.mowsf.org/gala or by calling 415-920-1111.
For our Client Volunteers: When a Client Has a Meals Need
If you know a client needs a meal canceled, service re-started, or any other need around their delivery of meals, please call (or have them call) the main number at Meals On Wheels, which is 415-920-1111. These messages are responded to very quickly, and it is vital that the correct department that can act upon the request or need can do so immediately. A message left with the Volunteer Department or a social worker can take a few days to be heard and attended to. Thanks!
Volunteering Heals Our Over-Compartmentalized Lives
One of the great geniuses of western culture is its ability to break things down in order to find out how things work. This gives us the gift of specialization, and the chance to have enormous impact on specific problems. But this compartmentalization has its downside: it leads to the remarkable level of segregation we experience in American life. Not just racial and class segregation, but age segregation as well. In high school our teenagers are separated from adult interactions and support, and we don't dare going to a club for young adults if we are over forty! We see how this segregation affects our seniors, too; indeed, in a way, it's what makes Meals On Wheels necessary.
Most of us grow up in this society and take its segregations for granted. But we have a subset of volunteers who bring a different perspective. They were born in other countries: Mexico, Columbia, the Canary Islands, Singapore, Kazakhstan, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China. They come from all over the world to enjoy the professional and other advantages that the United States offers. But they miss something critical from their home countries: they miss daily, routine interactions with elders.
So they come to Meals On Wheels. Yes, to do good and help out. And for many of them, to address how much they miss their own parents or grandparents. But above all they volunteer with us because they know it is healthy for them to have elders in their lives and to serve them with respect. As a result, we have more than our fair share of recent immigrant volunteers.
We invite you to join them in healing the separations and walls that are often too large a part of our lives.
Peace, Leslie
April Group Volunteering Highlights at Meals On Wheels of San Francisco
Gala 2011 Invitation Stuffers:
Gala preparations seem never ending the months leading up to May 15th. We want to thank our volunteer groups who took time to help us out with this very important and necessary activity. 16 volunteers spent a combined 54 hours of their time stuffing envelopes for MOWSF. While this isn't exactly anybody's favorite way to give back, we certainly appreciate it. Meals On Wheels of San Francisco could not exist without our community of volunteers and support!
Volunteers Brittany van Dyck, Margie Ching, Aryanna McDonald, Sami Mouth (Development Coordinator) and Amy Chen (Development Intern) pose cheerfully with envelopes and glue sticks in hand.
Drew School Students Welcoming New Meals On Wheels of San Francisco Clients:
After a staff presentation and tour of the Meals On Wheels of San Francisco facilities, Drew School students got busy working on hand-made greeting cards for our new clients. Community Service is an integral component of Drew students' educational and social experience. Within just a few hours, the Drew Crew produced hundreds of beautiful cards for our clients, who we know through experience, appreciate the gesture of these cards more than you might imagine.
Dee-Dee Sberlo, Community Service Coordinator at Drew School poses with students and their lovely hand-made creations!
April 2011
A BIG thank you on the anniversaries of our dedicated volunteers!
April 2011
Client Volunteer 6 Month Commitment Fulfillment Awards
Annalisa Eaves
Susan Jennings
Savanna Kemp
Brandi Kozlowski
Cat Stevans
Long term client volunteers who started in the month of April:
– 2008 –
David Somers
Linda Law
– 2009 –
Lilla Morehous
Madan Sriraman
– 2010 –
Lalitha Rangarajan
– March 2011 –
Mark Boggs
Antoinette Coleman
Carla Cook
Angie Estonina
Melanie Estonina
Steven Garboden
Whitney Hills
Katy Kreitler
Coy McAllister
Megan Nellis
Bonnie Yu
Check out our past Volunteer E-newsletters!
Volunteer Think Tank
MOWSF volunteers: please send us your thoughts, ideas, photos and stories. We would love hear what you have to say!
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Meals On Wheels Core Services
Delivery of 14 Meals Per Week
Safety Check by Delivery Drivers
Nutrition Education and Counseling
Social Work and Case Management
Support for Client Needs
Volunteers To Assist Clients
Meals On Wheels of San Francisco, Inc.   1375 Fairfax Ave.  |   www.mowsf.org
Volunteer Department
Leslie Nipps  |   Director of Volunteer Department  |   415-343-1325  |   [email protected]
Danie Belfield  |   Volunteer Program Associate  |   415-343-1311  |   [email protected]