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Meals On Wheels - Nourishing the Whole Person
Volunteer News
Yvonne's Step Stool
Deliver Meals to Homebound Seniors on Thanksgiving Day!
Richard and the Wooden Cat
Design a Gift Drive and Volunteer Activity to Support Homebound Seniors
Running for homebound seniors—Sponsor or Join us!
10 seconds of your time= $10K for Meals On Wheels of San Francisco
News From Our Director of Volunteers, Leslie Nipps
Yvonne's Step Stool
I am a friendly visitor and grocery shopper for Yvonne, a lovely 73-year-old woman and retired federal employee. Yvonne was born with some physical disabilities and endures painful rheumatoid arthritis, but maintains a very positive outlook on life despite these challenges.
Our relationship has grown slowly but steadily. After the first few months of visiting with her, she shared family photos with me. Then, the next week, she asked me if she could give me a hug goodbye which is the way we start and end all of our meetings these days. A few weeks after that, she jokingly referred to me as her "teenage" daughter. I like to think I look younger than my 32 years but no one has told me I look like a teenager in years!
Recently, I helped Yvonne to identify an inexpensive cell phone carrier so she could call her driver from church to let him know to pick her up. Then, one day a few weeks ago, I noticed that the stool she uses to lift herself onto her chair had an unstable leg. She lamented that she wouldn't be able to find the same stool to replace it with. I pulled out my iPhone and typed "step stool" into my Amazon app. Low and behold; the exact same stool popped up first on the search list. She sat in disbelief as I shared the result and in one click, I was able to place the order and have her reimburse me by check. A few days later, I received a voicemail from her as she giddily reported the news that her new step stool had arrived.
It feels gratifying to be able to help Yvonne in small but meaningful ways. Her positive attitude keeps me coming back!
By Laura Simonson, Friendly Visitor and Grocery Shopper Volunteer
Deliver Meals to Homebound Seniors on Thanksgiving Day!
Yes, Thanksgiving is coming!! Join us on Thanksgiving Day to help bring food to homebound seniors.
Delivery Volunteers deliver meals to 6-12 clients, starting in shifts at 8:00am, and leaving every 15 minutes until the last delivery that leaves at 1pm. Routes take 2-3 hours. This is a great opportunity for families, including children of any age.
Office Volunteers help make things work as we greet volunteers and send them on their way. The work in the office is from 8am – 3pm and each shift lasts about 4 hours. Note: This isn't a great opportunity for children under the age of 15.
Please click here to sign up for Thanksgiving. We expect over 400 volunteers for the day, and this form will make organizing the information so much easier! Shifts are on a first-come, first-served basis, so respond ASAP!
If you have any problems with the form, or any other questions, please contact Leslie Nipps at [email protected].
Richard and the Wooden Cat
Richard Levitin is in his mid-60s, was born, raised and lives in San Francisco. He loves the city and feels like he needs to give back to his community. That’s one of the reasons why he started volunteering with Meals On Wheels of San Francisco (MOWSF) over a year and a half ago.
He enjoys helping seniors with any kind of help they might need. He volunteers in the MOWSF Client Needs program, where he repairs and fixes all kinds of stuff that is fixable for homebound seniors at their homes.
Today Richard was sent on an interesting task. He was asked to fix an ornamental but useful item that Jef (MOWSF client) uses to open and close his ceiling window with. It’s a little wooden cat that Jef has had since he was a child. That cat means a lot to Jef. The fact that Richard could fix it with ease and without question meant everything to him. It’s the little things that we take for granted.
Richard also volunteers as a Home Delivered Grocery volunteer on Wednesday mornings and periodically leads volunteer groups on “Spring Cleaning All Year Round” senior home cleaning projects.
Volunteering at Meals On Wheels gives Richard a lot of satisfaction. “Whenever I fix or deliver something to a senior, and that person smiles, appreciating my help, that action or connection between me and the client is the most wonderful thing in the world.”
Richard has many inspiring and funny stories: Watch this Video Now
By John Oliden, Volunteer Coordinator Intern
Design a Gift Drive and Volunteer Activity to Support Homebound Seniors
Eac
h year, individuals, friends, organizations, corporations and communities come together to support seniors by donating items for Holiday Gift Bags that will be delivered to our clients this holiday season. Please help us reach our goal of obtaining items for over 2,000 Holiday Gift Bags. We are hoping to secure 2,000 pairs of non-slip socks, hand-towels, boxes of tea, pens and pads of paper, bars of soap, toiletry items, lanyards and sleeves and coiled wrist key chains.
Combine your gift drive for homebound seniors with a fun group volunteer activity! To accompany these gift bags, we include a homemade holiday card made by volunteers through our Arts and Crafts for Seniors program. Make it a contest? Costume party? Contact us for ideas and guidelines or to join us at our Bayview office and we will coordinate the event.
Running for homebound seniors—Sponsor or Join us!
 30th Annual Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run
Sunday, February 3, 2013 | 8AM
Golden Gate Park
Support Team MOWSF! On Sunday, February 3, 2013, Pamakid Runners Club is hosting the 30th annual Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run in Golden Gate Park. Team MOWSF, composed of Meals On Wheels staff and supporters, is ready to hit the pavement running—but we need your help. Each runner has committed to raising at least $1,500 in support of homebound seniors in San Francisco, so please help us by donating. You can choose to support an individual runner or the entire team! Click here to support this great event and MOWSF's team.
If you are interested in joining Team MOWSF as a runner, register here!
10 seconds of your time= $10K for Meals On Wheels of San Francisco
7X7 Magazine is holding an online contest to determine San Francisco's favorite charity. Please click here and vote for "Meals on Wheels" in the "Health & Nutrition" section. The winning charity gets $10,000, so please vote for us ASAP! If you want to give us more than 10 seconds, vote every day and spread the word!
News From Our Director of Volunteers, Leslie Nipps
Four and a half years ago, I came to Meals On Wheels of San Francisco (MOWSF), having left twelve years of parish ministry and teaching in our local jails. What an amazing journey it has been! With mixed feelings, I am announcing that I am leaving my position as Director of Volunteers. I will be full-time through October, and then I will become part-time, filling in until a new person is hired, possibly to the end of 2012. So I am not going away quite yet!
Working for MOWSF and supporting our magnificent volunteers has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. I continue to say that our volunteers—you—are some of the best people in the Bay Area, and daily I am in awe of your caring, your commitment, and your creative service to seniors. Thank you so much for your support and friendship over these four and a half years.
We have accomplished a great deal together. When I started, we had about thirty volunteers directly serving clients as friendly visitors, grocery shoppers, client needs volunteers and delivery volunteers. Now we have almost 200 who have made the ongoing commitment to be friends and provide important services for seniors. I am immensely proud of this growth, and along with the inevitable challenges, I can say it's been wonderful fun growing with all of you!
What am I leaving for? I am fulfilling my dream of full-time self-employment. I have a counseling practice in Oakland with clients around the country, helping them overcome emotional and mental anguish so that they can start having the kind of lives they dream of. I agree with the Dalai Lama—"The purpose of life is to be happy"—and I am committed to having that kind of life, and helping others have that kind of life, too. You can find my work at www.leslienipps.com, and I'd be delighted for your referrals!
Volunteering is certainly part of the "happy life" the Dalai Lama is talking about, and you've played a huge role in my own happiness over the last few years. Thank you, and please stay in touch. You can contact me as usual at MOWSF for the next few months.
Finally, please send your good thoughts to those at MOWSF who will be searching for and interviewing my successor, and when the time comes, support and help that person in successfully supporting you, the seniors and the agency in our good work. I know the future of volunteering at Meals On Wheels of San Francisco is bright with your help. Thank you.
Peace and blessings, Leslie
October 2012
Corporate and Community Group Opportunities
Corporate Packages
The in-kind value of a volunteer hour is $23.42
You support us in more ways than you may know!
Good karma comes to those who volunteer with Meals On Wheels!
At this year's SF magazine's FallFest, Volunteer Director, Leslie Nipps, won the top raffle prize for a one night stay in Sausalito, and Volunteer Intern, Taylor Peterson, took home a year-long membership to the Marine Mammal Center. Taylor also had a successful day featuring Meals On Wheels of San Francisco at the Excelsior Arts and Music festival, where she won a bike! This just goes to show how the list of reasons to be a part of MOWSF keeps on growing.
Spreading our word
This month Meals On Wheels of San Francisco was included in the Excelsior Arts and Music Festival, which seeks to unite the community through food, art, and organizations. Organized by Volunteer Intern, Taylor Peterson, the event gave Meals On Wheels great exposure to the community and those also attending the Sunday Streets event nearby. Amazing volunteers Ann, Christina, and Irene helped at the all-day event, informing those who stopped by our popular booth about our mission and all the ways they can help.
Want your gift to have a bigger impact?
Join the Supper Club, the MOWSF monthly giving program ($6 provides a nutritous meal and critical support services
Find out if your employer has a matching gift program
Help fund the future of MOWSF - join the Legacy Society
October 2012
Client volunteer
6 month commitment fulfillment Awards
Amy Ballesteros
Michael Bannon
Maren Bannon
Angela Holt
Sophie Humphrey Luberta Hurst
Thu Nguyen
Bernard Schweigert
Katie Smith
Siobhan Woods
Long term client volunteers who started in the month of October:
– 2009 –
Piilani Boner-
Lee Martin O'Neill
– 2010 –
Savanna Kemp
– September 2012 –
Steve Aeby
Alina Aeby
Dennis Avila
Lauren Borella
Marcelle Casey
Jennifer Green
Emma Green
Lily Kim
Lizzy Ma
Ian Mikulas
Erin Wiley
Adnan Zaman
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!
Don't forget to share the news of volunteering at Meals On Wheels! Volunteers are our best recruiters. Let your friends and colleagues know about the rewards of volunteering.
 
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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 Manager  |   415-343-1311  |   [email protected]