Time Filling Hearts One Plate at a - Community Meals, Inc.
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Winter 2020 | Community Meals, Inc. Annual Newsletter & Fundraising Drive In this issue: CMI Always Delivers Donate Today President's Message Our Community Pitches In Donor Honor Roll Meals That Matter To Our Wonderful CMI Community As 2020 finally draws to a close, we take this opportunity to say, "Thank You!" All of you make our mission possible. This year especially, we have proven that we truly are in this together. CMI Takes on Covid-19 Challenges: Caring for Our Clients Through the Pandemic and Beyond Last March, as Covid-19 ushered in a time of fear and uncertainty, CMI was faced with a critical question: Can we continue to safely provide meals for our clients? The answer, despite the pandemic's challenges was, "Yes !" CMI never missed a single delivery. The health and safety of every client and volunteer a priority, CMI's leadership quickly put new protocols in place. The kitchen, typically bustling with meal prep activity, became a quiet, sterile environment staffed by a skeleton crew. After packing the meals with minimal contact, coolers were handed off to dedicated volunteers wearing masks and gloves.They in turn hit the road guaranteeing that every CMI client would get their scheduled meal on time and with a socially- distanced smile. This routine is still in place every delivery day. While other nearby Meals on Wheels operations had to temporarily halt deliveries, CMI never missed a delivery. Dedicated staff and volunteers knew they delivered more than a meal to our clients. They knew the social connection they provide, oftentimes the only one of the day for some clients, was more important than ever during the pandemic. In addition to daily deliveries, CMI made the decision to lead a food drive to ensure that we had a plentiful supply of shelf-stable food to provide to any client who might be unable to receive meals. CMI has proven that it can rise to any challenge and still serve the clients who have come to depend on it. Filling Hearts One Plate at a Time
Transcript of Time Filling Hearts One Plate at a - Community Meals, Inc.
Winter 2020 | Community Meals, Inc. Annual Newsletter & Fundraising Drive
In this issue:
CMI Always DeliversDonate TodayPresident's MessageOur Community Pitches InDonor Honor RollMeals That Matter
To Our Wonderful CMI Community
As 2020 finally draws to a close, we take thisopportunity to say, "Thank You!" All of you make ourmission possible. This year especially, we haveproven that we truly are in this together.
CMI Takes on Covid-19 Challenges: Caring for Our Clients Through thePandemic and Beyond
Last March, as Covid-19 ushered in a time of fear anduncertainty, CMI was faced with a critical question: Can wecontinue to safely provide meals for our clients? Theanswer, despite the pandemic's challenges was, "Yes!"
CMI never missed a single delivery. The health and safetyof every client and volunteer a priority, CMI's leadershipquickly put new protocols in place. The kitchen, typicallybustling with meal prep activity, became a quiet, sterileenvironment staffed by a skeleton crew. After packing themeals with minimal contact, coolers were handed off todedicated volunteers wearing masks and gloves.They inturn hit the road guaranteeing that every CMI client wouldget their scheduled meal on time and with a socially-distanced smile. This routine is still in place every deliveryday.
While other nearby Meals on Wheels operations had to temporarily halt deliveries, CMI never misseda delivery. Dedicated staff and volunteers knew they delivered more than a meal to our clients. Theyknew the social connection they provide, oftentimes the only one of the day for some clients, wasmore important than ever during the pandemic.
In addition to daily deliveries, CMI made the decision to lead a food drive to ensure that we had aplentiful supply of shelf-stable food to provide to any client who might be unable to receive meals.
CMI has proven that it can rise to any challenge and still serve the clients who have come to dependon it.
Filling Hearts One Plate at aTime
CMI delivers meals, many of which aresubsidized or free, to our homebound clients inAllendale, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park,Ridgewood, Waldwick and part of Saddle River.
Together we help so many of our neighbors. CMIrelies on the generous financial support of thecommunity to offset meal costs. We do not getany government financial support.
As you reflect on your blessings this Holidayseason, consider a donation to CMI so that wecan continue to fill the plates and hearts of ourdeserving clients.
You can help CMI provide meals to homeboundindividuals by making a donation atcommunitymealsonwheels.org, mailing acheck to Community Meals at 354 Rock Road,Glen Rock, NJ 07452 or using the QR codebelow.
Donate Today!
A Message from Our Board President: Ray Accettura
Little did we realize last January that 2020 would be a yearunlike any other we have experienced in our lifetimes!
CMI had to quickly pivot to make major changes to our dailyoperating procedures in order to protect our volunteers and clients.Despite these months' long challenges, we have much tocelebrate. We maintained our meal service to our clients without a
single day’s interruption or cancellation. And we continue to deliver nearly 85 meals a daythanks to everyone's hard work!
Every year, but especially this year, we owe our success to our amazing staff and volunteers.Kudos to Executive Director Penny Schildkraut and Associate Director Rebecca Conboy whospearheaded our efforts, and to our Day Chairs Lynne Van Engel, Jack Egan, PeggyVandervoort and Roseline Laguerre who kept all our routes covered despite often being short-handed as many of our regular volunteers were forced to take a temporary leave for health &safety reasons. Thanks, as well, to our dedicated volunteers who cover the "last mile", faithfullydelivering the meals from our kitchen at Community Church to all our clients. We are also mostappreciative of everyone who contributed to our food drive that collected shelf stable food forclients to have on hand in the event of a delivery disruption. A special shout-out to the 5thgraders at Hamilton School in Glen Rock and their families who donated 50 bags of food toCMI.
We are also deeply grateful to each and every one of you who contribute financially to ourmission. We strive to never turn anyone away who cannot pay for meals. Over one-third of ourmeals are provided to clients with financial need. We receive no public funding for these freemeals and our meal prices do not cover our costs. News reporting of economic insecurity hashighlighted just how much food insecurity runs through our communities.
This year, our fundraising campaign is aptly named “Fill a Plate, Fill a Heart" and it reflectsthat need. Please help us keep filling those plates and hearts by contributing to our campaign.
2021 is just around the corner and, with your help, we will enter it stronger and more financiallysecure for all our clients. The following is one of my favorite quotes and resonates even moreso this year:
“Even if it’s a little thing, do something for those who have need of a man’s or woman’shelp, something for which you get no pay, but the privilege of doing it. For remember,you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers and sisters are here, too.” - Albert Schweitzer
Best wishes to you and your families for a safe and happy holiday season.
Great Service 5th Graders!
AMAZING! 50 bags of groceries, packedin hand-decorated reusable shoppingbags, were donated to CMI by studentsof Glen Rock’s Hamilton School. Thestudents chose CMI for their 2020 5thGrade Service Project. Thanks to theirdonations, our clients will have morefood to stock their pantries andheartwarming messages from thestudents to lift their spirits.
It's Auction Time!
Check out all the items online, and from thecomfort of your living room make a Bid.You take home something beautiful and aportion of your winning bid goes to CMI!
Bidding Begins: Saturday, December 5 at 7 p.m.Bidding Ends:Saturday, December 12 at 7 p.m.
Register at:charityauction.bid/uuoutreachauction2020
Donor Honor Roll - April 2019 to October 2020
We are grateful for our generous contributors! Your financial gifts ensure thatCommunity Meals Inc. remains a vital community resource.
Gayle AlbesRay AccetturaAcme Food MarketsAllendale Bar & GrillAndrea AjelloAndrea’s Ristorante ItalianoAmazon SmilesAnonymousArturo’s RestaurantAtlantic Stewardship BankRita BatorBarbara BolgerAdam Borchert & Kim KehrbergerBristol Meyers Squibb FoundationSheila BroganAmy BrowneSue Campbell
The Frank & BrendaGallagher Family FoundationModi GidwaniGertrude Hirsch Charitable TrustThe Glen Rock InnGlen Rock Women in CommunityServiceGreater Bergen Realtors CareFoundationJoseph GrundySarah HawkinsDavid Harris & Joyce JohnsonCecily HealyVictoria & Thomas HerbertGertrude L. Hirsch Charitable TrustHo-Ho-Kus Inn & TavernAnn Hoven
The Office Tavern GrillLila OppenheimerOur Lady of Mt. Carmel ChurchPark West TavernJohn & Patricia PetronePizzaiolo By BrothersCarol & Bill RafteryRidgewood AM RotaryRock Road Jewelry, LLC (SupriyaKapur)Lynne RoeRosario’s TrattoriaMaureen RosenRory RyanSaddle River CaféJosh & Penny SchildkrautThe Schwartz Family Foundation
The Clinton D. & Grace A CarloughCharitable FoundationLynn Carter & Lynn VogelCentral Unitarian Church OutreachAuctionThe Chen FamilyMandeep ChadhaTom & Claire ChadwickLi Swan ChenColumbia Bank FoundationThe Community Church of GlenRockThe Community Thrift ShopJennifer ConstantinoMary CronanJerry & Diane CunninghamRita DalyCarol DorseyJohn EdwardsJack Egan & Jeffrey WilsonRichard & Carol EkmanLouise EnnicoEric EpsteinJulie EpsteinMargaret FaathBill FanarasWilliam FanarasAnita FeukerMary FezzaMargaret FiskMindy FrangulovaJanet FrickeElizabeth Fuentes
Jalapeños Mexican Bar & GrillJohn Paul JonesJust Janice RestaurantSatish & Punam KashyapFran KelleyJim & Amy KendrickPat & George KehrbergerDavid & Nancy KunisRichard & Mary AnnKwiatokoswskiMichael LawElizabeth LeyLove Handles LLC (StaceyGilmartin)Walter LynnEd Mc CabeMelissa MaloneyDavid & Sandra MartinMitchell Marcus & AnnaliseMcKean-MarcusThomas MaweFrank & Carol MeyersThomas MierswaDaniel MillsRobert & Theresa MooreChristopher & Kim MountKurt MuenzSue NeedlemanAnnemarie NegronNellie’s PlaceNew Jersey RealtorsBob & Donna NihenKristine Nylund
Terrence SehrWilliam & Evelyn SehrAna SerafinoJudy DeAngelis SheffieldCarol ShepardLawrence & Cheryl SimonSt. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church(Ridgewood)Paul SmolenKristina SoderlundThe Steel Wheel TavernSteven SteinerStop & Shop SupermarketsThe Richard A. & Loretta M.Stratton FoundationTD Charitable FoundationBill & Lisa TorpeySameer UpadhyayaDan & Lynne Van EngelJohn & Ginny Van KeurenThe Valley Hospital FoundationDorothy VanderwerfThe Village GrilleAnastasia VicinanzaWilliam WagnerBrian & Bethany WardThe Wawa FoundationWegmans Food MarketsWhole Foods MarketsJoseph & Janet WillettDon & Janet WongPatricia Zengel
In Memory of Eleanor & Frank AntoniniPeter AntoniniThomas & Margaret Kohli
In Memory of Robert BerkeryEleanor Berkery In Memory of Robert W. & Betsy S. ChamberlinBruce Chamberlin In Memory of Edna FegleyLynda Fegley
In Memory of Mollie GalletlyAlexander & Karen HoyBella HoyNick HoyVicky Hoy In Memory of Florence IwamotoKim Takayama
In Memory of Lola & Jack MurphyDavid & Nancy Kunis
In Memory of Hillary PetersonDianne Dunn
In Memory of Vivian Peterson
In Memory of Robert PuritzLenni Puritz
In Memory of Priscilla & Jesse RubensteinElizabeth Fuentes
In Memory of Robert SinkwayJon Sinkway
In Memory of Ruth TickleCarol Raftery
In Memory of Anita WagnerWilliam Wagner
In Honor of all our VolunteersJohn & Stacey GilmartinDavid & Margaret Hughes
In Honor of Ray & Margaret AccetturaWilliam AllynRichard Linke & Ann Cerrone
In Honor of Patti ConwayJanet Fricke
In Honor of Pat KehrbergerGeorge Kehrberger
Dianne Dunn In Honor of Rajinder MehtaSatish & Punam Kashyap
Ready. Set.Deliver BlizzardBags!
CMI volunteers tooksteps to prepare forany potential winterdelivery cancellations.Each year non-perishable foods -pasta, soup, dried andcanned fruit,condensed milk, andjuice - are purchasedand packed intoindividual shopping
bags. Should a snowy blizzard preventvolunteers from being able to deliver regularlyscheduled meals to clients, the Blizzard Bagsprovide a safety net. Each shopping bag,filled with a two-day supply of food isdistributed to CMI's clients in November. Thisyear, over 75 Blizzard Bags were delivered.
Recycling Your Clothes $upports CMI
Downsizing and cleaning out your home and closets? Considerrecycling your gently used items by donating them to the CommunityThrift Shop. When you choose CMI (#87) as the recipient, yourclothing or no longer needed costume jewelry, accessories, dishes orsmall household items will not only go to a new home but will continueto help CMI's clients. How? A portion of all Community Thrift Storesales are donated back to CMI! A win-win for all.
Meals That Matter - 2020
Sadly, due to the pandemic, our annual "Meals That Matter" event had to be canceled. Eachyear select restaurants generously agree to donate a portion of their revenues on a designatedday to Community Meals. Diners enjoy a "meal that matters" while helping CMI to fulfill itscommitment to subsidize any client with financial needs.
We look forward to holding our "Meals That Matter" event in 2021 and hope you'll join us then.In the meantime, we ask you to consider supporting our 2019 partner restaurants by diningoutdoors or indoors with them, by ordering takeout or purchasing a gift card.
Meals That Mattered 2019 - Support Our Supporters
AllendaleAllendale Bar & Grill
RidgewoodThe Office Tavern & Grill
Glen RockThe Glen Rock InnJalepenos Mexican Bar & Grill
Ho-Ho-KusJust JaniceHo-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern
Midland ParkArturo'sPizzaiolo by Brother'sRosario's Trattoria
Park West TavernSteel Wheel Tavern
WaldwickAndrea's Ristorante ItalianoNellie's PlaceVillage Grille
Saddle RiverSaddle River Cafe
Heartfelt Thanks to OurVolunteers
Volunteers, we miss you! We can't wait tocelebrate your unwavering commitment to ourclients at a Volunteer Luncheon in 2021. Youare always ready to do what it takes toadvance CMI's mission. And you always do itwith a kind smile. Stay safe.Text Link
Join Us: Become a CMI VolunteerContact us at 201.447.8295 or email [email protected]
Link to visit and donate:communitymealsonwheels.org
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