June 29, 2020 Update From Executive Director Jay Weatherford

Dear Friends and Partners,

This is the June 28th update of Wright County’s Care and Nutrition Partnership Support for Seniors (60+).  We are starting our 15^th week of response to COVID-19.  Wright County Community Action (WCCA) has a support line for seniors; please encourage seniors to call (320) 963-6500 Ext. 274.  As a community, we want to help with our most vulnerable neighbors’ challenges, including isolation and the impact that results, assistance with grocery access through education, grocery delivery, senior mobile food shelf needs, frozen meal support, prescription access, and needs like housekeeping, chore, and other logistical issues as they present.

As of June 18^th we have 410 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wright County.  1,124 residents tested this week for a total of 7,133 tested in Wright County to date.   Our seniors are really doing a great job staying safe.  J

COVID-19 Surveillance Report – Wright County

https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/index.html#demographics

Even with a large portion of our County being rural and there are typically more seniors per capita in rural areas, our Wright County seniors are doing well.  This data from the CDC shows that nationally 44.2% of the COVID-19 cases are age 50 and over.  In Wright County this week only 39% of our confirmed cases are age 50 and over.  This swing is 5% percentage points better than the national percentages.  Let’s keep working at this, we can protect this most vulnerable population by just reminding ourselves this is a high risk group and taking extra measures to protect them.  We can drive our numbers even lower.

 

In addition to all the effort Wright County residents are putting in to protect our seniors, the partnership, including WCCA staff and partnership volunteers, is making frequent Health and Reassurance calls to our seniors.  So far in June, we have had 2,199 phone conversations with our highest risk seniors.  While some calls are brief check-ins and only last a minute or two, others extend to 15 minutes or more and provide a time to simply visit with and encourage our seniors.  We are averaging almost four minutes per call.  From these calls we had 778 requests so far in June for additional frozen meal support.  Some of these are replenishments from seniors already receiving these meals and some are new seniors just contacting us.  Callers- keep up the good work!  Your impact is huge.

 

Since March 23^rd we have received 1,312 Care and Nutrition applications.  In the month of June, 51 new Care and Nutrition Applications have come in so far.

 

Our senior’s predicaments

 

This week we thought you would like to hear directly from some of our seniors.  We have certainly found each to have a unique story, but there are some common threads we have been hearing.  One is that some urgently need our nutrition support.

 

Caller #1:

 

We received a call and from her tone of voice it was clear that she was not having a good day. She received a letter from a nutrition partner that she had options to continue or discontinue receiving meals.  She realized that because of her income it appears that she would have no problem purchasing her own groceries and meals. However, her husband was institutionalized in long-term care, and his social security and much of hers is paying for his care. This leaves little monies to pay for medications, mortgage, and groceries, and often she has no money at all to pay for food. This has led to significant depression and she was requesting mental health resources, just someone to talk to, someone who could hear her and possibly offer some support.

 

Caller #2:

 

Caller wanted to know if we were going to drop him from the meal program. The letter he received had him concerned, and during the conversation about the program he broke down. Sobbing through the phone he said, “I just don’t have the money to pay for meals, and my health is not good, and I do not want to go out to the store to get food. These meals help me stay home. How can this be happening?” We reassured him that a donation was completely up to him, and that we would not suspend or cancel meals, as long as we could continue to provide them. The caller was relieved after some minutes and said, “I really appreciate it.  I really need these meals to help me get by." 

As mentioned last week, we need local contributions from seniors to sustain this program.  That said, some of our seniors truly cannot afford to contribute.  Some are high risk and low-income.  Others are average income with very high risk and high medical costs and/or other necessary expenses like long-term care for a spouse.  Although some seniors’ incomes looks adequate on paper, high medical or related service needs often absorb much of their income.  Also some reside in areas with a much higher cost of living; yet, many of our programs do not recognize the inequity in the conditions that goes beyond just their income level. 

It is important to really hear and understand these individual circumstances and needs.  Simply grouping people by income or number of ADLs, particularly when these individual circumstances can change so quickly, really seems insufficient in determining need or reach.  With systems complicated even more by this pandemic and the fear spawned, our seniors need more connection to people with intentional support for the effects of isolation.

In addition, from this perspective, it is a weakness in our system to expect all seniors “to donate” or at least be asked to donate.  There is a softer approach to allow seniors more dignity while giving them the option to donate toward the cost of their meals.  It is not the seniors that “can” afford to donate that do not accept meal support when they are asked to donate for the cost of their meals.  It is those who cannot afford to donate but really need the food support that often reject help.  It is too often the senior whose pride or feelings of guilt keep them from accepting aid.  Again, the donation opportunity is absolutely no problem for some, but for those who can’t donate, many times their pride or guilt discourages them from participating, even if they greatly need the nutrition support.  It’s important to recognize this situation in some of our highest risk Minnesota seniors.  Ignoring these factors only causes an inequity, sometimes disguised as unselfishness by the senior, but is often due to their lack of ability to pay and the guilt they feel if they do not.  

As stated last week and worth mentioning again, to soften the approach while following Title III federal guidelines (asking us to give each recipient the opportunity to donate) our partnership is now using an alternative approach.  Currently, we are offering Heat and Eat Instructions with all meals distributed that include an opportunity to “pay it forward”.  Waverly Café has already produce over 11,000 meals.  When meals produced by Waverly Café are distributed, seniors get “Heat and Eat Instructions” in every meal distribution that include the following statement:

While we can, these meals are offered at no cost to you.  If at some point, you are looking to pay it forward, please consider contributing to the cost of meals for yourself and maybe a friend.  We currently estimate our leveraged meal cost at $4 each. Whatever the case, your meals are covered no matter your ability to donate. 

This seems to be working, without interfering with the pride and tradition of our seniors or causing unnecessary guilt. 

For our seniors, particularly those struggling financially, we need to offer meals at a very affordable price to support their ability to donate or help them feel like they are contributing.  Our partnership has chosen $4 per meal.  With cohort buying power and other efficiencies provided by partners like Second Harvest, corporate supporters, and local farmers, this is very likely a reasonable leveraged cost.  We have found that higher prices only run off the seniors that need it most.  

Another factor in Wright County affecting our senior’s financial viability and pushing past program-defined senior income levels is our high cost of housing.

High cost of housing’s effect on Wright County Seniors

One of the conditions we are battling in Wright County for our seniors is the high cost of housing in the County.   As mentioned last week, we have some seniors struggling with the high cost of living, even though they have reasonable incomes based on nationally defined poverty levels.  Housing costs in Wright County are really effecting this population.  As illustrated below, rental costs in the county generally have increased by 24% since 2000, while the median renter income has only grown by 6%.  Median home values have increased by 11% and the median homeowner income by only 3% for the same period.

Housing cost burdens are definitely an issue for many of our County’s seniors.  The following chart illustrates that over 3,000 of our senior households (1,057 renter households and 2,031 homeowner households) have a housing cost burden over 30%.  These seniors are more likely to have insufficient resources for basic needs like food and medication.  From the data below, 60% of our seniors that are renting experience cost burden with regard to their housing.

https://www.mhponline.org/images/stories/images/research/coprofs/2019/Wright.pdf

 They are going to love it!  Thank you!!!  Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm - Northridge Fellowship Small Group and Friends

We have delivered over 36,000 frozen meals (not including over 2,500 breakfast products from Cargill) since the first of April.

If you or a potential partner would like to help expand this resource to our seniors expressly on Highway 12, please consider donating to the “COVID-19 Food” fund at the Delano Loretto Area United Way:

1. Write a check to:  Delano Loretto Area United Way

In the memo line, write: “COVID-19 Food.”

Mail to:          P.O. Box 578

                        Delano, MN  55328

2. Or visit the Delano Loretto Area United Way Website http://www.delanolorettouw.org/ and click “Donate” -- donations via credit card or PayPal (click on “write a note”, write “COVID-19 Food”)

If you want to target expansion of frozen meal delivery in other parts of Wright County including the Highway 55 corridor and I-94 corridor, please consider donating to the “COVID-19 Food” fund at Wright County Community Action:

Write a check to:  Wright County Community Action

In the memo line, write: “COVID-19 Food.”

Mail to:          P.O. Box 787

                        Maple Lake, MN  55358

Or visit the Wright County Community Action Agency Website (dedicate to:  “COVID-19 Food”)  https://www.wccaweb.com

The entire community of Wright County is in this together! (see current partner list below)

 

Thankful,

Jay Weatherford

WCCA Executive Director

 

For more information for Wright County senior support services:

https://www.wccaweb.com/Home/Index  (click current programs)

or

email:  agingservices@wccaweb.com

or

call:

• (320) 963-6500 Ext 274 – Aging Program Manager - Eric Nagel

• (320) 963-6500 Ext 241 – Dispatch

• 1-800-333-2433 – Senior LinkAge Line

• Delivered Frozen Meal Program(s) – WCCA at (320) 963-6500 Ext 274  or Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels program located in Maple Lake: (320) 963-5771,  Annandale:  (320) 274-3891  and Buffalo:  (763) 682-6036     

To volunteer:

 

Contact (320) 963-6500 Ext. 225 –– Jen Liebeck jliebeck@wccaweb.com

Or enroll on Website: https://www.wccaweb.com/Home/Volunteer

 

Partner support

1. Second Harvest – free and reduced cost bulk raw food products for frozen meal production.
2. Local Farmers – Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm – contributing produce for senior meal support and local food security needs.
3. Waverly Café - ingenuity and giving spirit including their PPP loan directed at paying their staff to produce senior meals, catering expertise, and use of their commercial kitchen.
4. Catholic Charities partially funded by Central MN Council on Aging – frozen meals contribution and Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.
5. Cargill – breakfast meals.
6. J&B Group – bulk warehouse freezer storage including bulk prepared meal storage and bulk raw food storage.
7. Buffalo Crossings LLC, owner of Oriental Buffet in Buffalo – commercial walk-in freezer, commercial walk-in cooler, and commercial kitchen to pack and store senior meals.
8. Local Food Shelves - local frozen meal and bulk food storage, as well as senior services registration (Annandale Food Shelf, Buffalo Food Shelf, Monticello Help Center, and Waverly Food Shelf).
9. Trailblazer – daily volunteer based County-wide local meal delivery.
10. Delano Senior Center – senior services application fulfillment and frozen meal distribution, as well as Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.
11. Public Health – volunteer recruitment, data support, instructional materials design, and logistics support.
12. St. Cloud Refrigeration – emergency air conditioning for the Waverly Café kitchen.
13. Local Lions Clubs – local community freezer development and contributions to the cost of frozen meals (Waverly, Montrose, Howard Lake, Maple Lake, Loretto, and Monticello).
14. Local Municipalities – local freezer storage funding support (City of Waverly, City of Montrose, City of Howard Lake).
15. Other Local Corporations – Citizen State Bank of Waverly (freezer funding support) and Walgreens (shopping bags).
16. Local Faith-based organizations – many very giving churches for many years have been active in financial support for food security across Wright County (too many to mention them all – but you know who you are) . – in addition, Love INC, St Mary’s Catholic Church, Alleluia Lutheran, Our Father’s Lutheran, St. John’s Lutheran, North Ridge Fellowship Small Group and friends, Montrose United Methodist Church have provide support for senior call center activity, B.R.E.A.D program outreach, volunteer administrative services, food security, food preparation, and meal storage access and delivery.
17. Initiative Foundations, Delano Loretto Area United Way, Wright County Area United Way, Mardag Foundation, and St Paul and Minnesota Foundations including funding for COVID-19 direct response, Catchafire membership, and B.R.E.A.D. program funding.
18. State Live Well at Home Funding and Federal Title III funding support administered by the Minnesota Board on Aging and Central Minnesota Council on Aging.
19. Wholesale purchase of recyclable meal trays.
20. Oliver Equipment Lease for the required equipment to seal the senior meal trays.
21. AMI Group and IDA Foods – access to airline meal vendors adding senior meal production capacity and contingency support.  This opportunity to purchase over stock of first-class airline meals due to drop in air travel and our partners sharing their relationships.
22. Tireless WCCA Staff support from multiple programs working to braid any allowable resource to make a difference for our seniors.
23. Countless community volunteers - everything from administrative services support, logistics and storage coordination, bulk food and materials transport, senior transportation, local meal delivery, meal packing, senior call center activity, PPE production and product support, volunteer coordination, food rescue, and so many more details where you fill the gap  (you too, know who you are – we are so grateful for your courage and willingness to step forward to meet needs).

 

Call to Action

There is still much more opportunity for local corporate and civic partners to get involved.  It’s simple solutions like packing meals in the Walgreens shopping bags or storing bulk meals or protein on the warehouse freezer floor at J&B Group that have made all the difference.  Given the chance there are many incredible businesses that have unique resources, relationships, buying power, and experience.   We really hope to find more corporate partners willing to leverage their earned knowledge and distinctive talents to improve this support for our seniors during the pandemic.   Leveraging what they do best including their marketing, buying power, and connections brings together powerful partners.  When we put our heads together, we dig up unique ways like those mentioned briefly above.  These often come from you readers.  So please share this email with your friend, neighbor, or corporate partner so that this story can be told, and those big thinkers out there have the opportunity to step forward and do what they do best. 

Its leaders like Waverly Café, J&B Group, Cargill, St. Cloud Refrigeration, Buffalo Crossing, and Untiedt Vegetable Farm that are showing us ways for other corporate partners to leverage their buying power, innovation, and economy of scale that will most likely take this delivery system to the next level.  We need you thinkers to help refine our process as a community, interested in protecting our most vulnerable population by leveraging their lessons learned; those lessons that have brought your businesses to the success they are today.  Share this message with your friends: during the same years that many of your companies were established and being built to thrive, the people we are trying to protect were your customers.  This might be a great opportunity to now give back to the ones who supported you and help them thrive. 

We need to refine solutions in local communities for freezer storage,  access to bulk buying, shared and efficient transportation opportunities, HR teams organizing volunteers to support local distribution in their community, corporate giving through community investment and matching.  We need volunteered ingenuity from our bankers and other corporate partners that  can bring their experience to this effort to shore up and produce a stronger, even more sustainable model than we have today.  It is partners with their buying power, innovation, and economy of scale that are now needed to continue to refine our process.  There is still local ingenuity to leverage in this crisis seeking local solutions that will only enhance, extend, and sustain the investment of the federal and state agencies.