9-13 Update From Executive Director Jay Weatherford

 

Dear Friends and Partners,

This is the September 13^th update of Wright County’s Care and Nutrition Partnership Support for Seniors (60+).  We are starting our 26^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, chores, and other logistical issues as they present.

Wright County COVID-19 IMPACT

As of September 10^th we have 1,406 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wright County.  This measurement began March 13^th of this year.  Our oldest case is almost 100 years old, at 99 years, and three months is the youngest case in Wright County thus far.  107 new confirmed cases since last week which is down J from 162.  Only one new case over 70 years of age since last week for a total of 91. J

September 10, 2020 Wright County confirmed case by Age        

September 3, 2020 Wright County confirmed case by Age

Confirmed cases seem to still be growing faster in the 10 through 29 age ranges up 46 cases from 403 last week to 449 this week.  In the last two months or so ages 70 and up have declined as a percent of all ages in Wright County from 9.39% of confirmed cases to 6.47% of confirmed cases. J

   

Wright County Zip Code Map Case since Mid-March

9-10-20 Wright County COVID-19 Dashboard        

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/52d559cfbe6e4ca39558c9b2f877e144

We hope you will share our information with your senior friends and family (60+).  Please share this story so that our seniors know a place to go if they want to confidently check into resources they may need  – also please call the seniors in your life, they appreciate hearing from their neighbor, friends, and love ones especially as they may feel a bit isolated during this time! 

Seniors Participating in the Wright County Care and Nutrition Partnership

   

One of the services we are able to provide is frozen meals delivered directly to senior’s homes on a demand basis.  Over the last months it has come to light that the needs for our seniors fluctuate and are somewhat diverse across the board.  During the summer more fresh vegetables are available and some of our senior are traveling more.  The Wright County Care and Nutrition Partnership’s approach to nutrition support whether it be frozen meals or fresh farm produce seems to really be able to effectively adjust to most of our seniors ever changing needs and evolving situations. 

This last week, with the help of Trailblazer, we averaged distribution of 325 frozen meals each day provided by both Waverly Café and Catholic Charities.  We currently have 740 active seniors requesting frozen meals as they need them.  In addition, in the last month we have distributed over 17,000 pounds of farm fresh fruit and vegetables from Untiedts Vegetable Farm which has been made readily available to many of our seniors through Food Shelfs, Food Drops, Senior Frozen Meals and Dining Centers Sites, Senior Mobile Food Shelf Deliveries, and Senior Living Facilities.  While Waverly Café is currently on a short production and reset break, they have already produced almost 29,000 meals and will begin producing again this next week.  They have averaged 400 meals per day production while they also are operating the balance of their restaurant and catering business.  Waverly Café is a power house, and their leadership and staff should be commended for their endurance and support.

You might ask how the Partnership reaches our seniors needing support.  For the most part new seniors just learning about our work find out about us through word of mouth including your support by forwarding this Update to your senior friends or family that might could use a little help managing and are isolated somewhat in their homes.  Please forward this email to any senior or a family member of a senior that you feel could potentially use this information or might want to share it with their friend who could.

Our partnership team is currently making over 3,000 calls to existing applicants per month.  Just the WCCA Aging team has made 2,565 calls in the last 30 days and 860 so far in September.

Shout-out to Strategic Partners

NourishingHOPE has offered to extend frozen meal support just beyond the Wright County Line to the east into Western Hennepin County.   In the next weeks, seniors there on the Western edge of Hennepin County will be able to reach out to NourishingHOPE to learn about frozen meal support in their local community.  For more information, please contact nourishinghope.oflc@gmail.com or call (763) 477-6300.  Seniors living in Wright County should continue to call the WCCA office at (320) 963-6500 ext. 274 to coordinate frozen meal delivery.

Our new Partnership with Forgotten Harvest and Twin Cities Relief, who are now sharing fresh farm vegetables in Northern Minneapolis, will increase the distribution of Untiedt’s vegetables to 120 cases next Thursday.  The fresh vegetables distribution across Wright County and into North Minneapolis will total 328 boxes and gunny sacks next week including:

Zestar Apples, Chestnut Crab Apples, Yellow Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Corn, Field Run Slicer Tomatoes, Baby Cucumbers, and Eggplant.

Impact of Untiedt’s produce

Requests for fresh produce and the number of loads each week have increased as more and more interest has developed and the harvest comes into full swing.  Last week and this coming week it will take four full van loads to haul just the requests we have and we are still leaving fresh produce at the farm that could make it to individuals and families that could benefit from it.  We are looking into expanding our local and regional delivery capacity.  Since the first of the season the Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm has generously offered over 60,000 pounds of produce.  While we have found a home and tables for over half, we have left over 25,000 pounds of this farm fresh produce at the farm. 

  

Untiedt’s Investment in our Community is HUGE and their employees are amazing…

As one might imagine, as part of this journey, every week there have been lessons to learn.  We’ve learned what communication techniques seem to provide the best information transfer.  We are learning how to reach further out to groups that can benefit from the abundance of fresh produce.  We have learned how to quickly schedule multiple routes that meet both the timing needs of the food security partners while providing cost efficiency in our delivery process. We have found methods to communicate availability and take product requests from many sites in a very short window of time.  We’ve also learned how to leverage the knowledge of partners for things as simple as how to pack the van in such a way that the distribution process goes very smoothly or what’s the right vehicle to expand our delivery capacity.

Our next adventure that has come to the forefront, is the desire to preserve this resource so that families can benefit by extending this supply through the Minnesota winter.  Currently we are looking into the next steps to take advantage of undistributed product by preserving it so it can be shared year around.  If you have an expertise in fresh produce preservation or know someone who does, please reach out and share your ideas or resources with the partnership.  You can just respond to this email and let us know how you can help or just share your thoughts.  We would love to hear from you.

Please let us know if there are other food security partners that we are not reaching with fresh vegetables from Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm. Please give them our contact information.

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:

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

 

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) 

Glad,

 

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

 

New Partner and First Time Reader Overview

Farmers: food shelfs and senior programs can use your support.  Please share this email with your Wright County  farmer friends potentially able to contribute, or other Food Security Partners that could use this produce to support their efforts.  For large donations, WCCA will use its resources to make distributions happen.  Again, going forward we hope to expand this list of local food security recipients that could use fresh vegetables when they become available. If you are serving local individuals at no cost and would like to be included in this potential fresh vegetable distribution opportunity, please email me a cell phone number to text.  When an opportunity arises, a rapid response will be needed.  Based on a first come first serve distribution and availability, Wright County Community Action will do our best to share these resources as they come in and deliver them to partner locations.

Partner support

·        Second Harvest – free and reduced cost bulk raw food products for frozen meal production.

·        Delano Coburn’s – weekly food rescue makes a tremendous impact on food security resources.

·        Local Farmers – Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm and Dechene Corporation of Big Lake Minnesota – contributing produce for senior meal support and local food security needs.

·        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.

·        Catholic Charities partially funded by Central MN Council on Aging – frozen meals contribution and Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.

·        Cargill – breakfast meals.

·        J&B Group – bulk warehouse freezer storage including bulk prepared meal storage and bulk raw food storage; not to mention helping us resolve logistical issues, as well as supplying a really great box with the outcome of providing so many solutions to challenges we have faced in our production process.

·        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.

·        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).

·        Trailblazer – daily volunteer based County-wide local meal delivery.

·        Delano Senior Center – senior services application fulfillment and frozen meal distribution, as well as Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.

·        Wright County Human Services/Public Health – volunteer recruitment support, data support, instructional materials design, and logistics support.

·        St. Cloud Refrigeration – emergency air conditioning for the Waverly Café kitchen.

·        Electrical Workers Union, IBEW Local 292 – brought to the partnership Olympia Tech Electric to support new electrical service needed at Waverly Café

·        Olympia Tech Electric – installing new electrical services at Waverly Café needed for additional freezer capacity

·        Local Lions Clubs – local community freezer development and contributions to the cost of frozen meals (Waverly, Montrose, Howard Lake, Maple Lake, Loretto, and Monticello).

·        Local Municipalities – local freezer storage funding support (City of Waverly, City of Montrose, City of Howard Lake).

·        Health Care Partners – Allina Health (financial support)

·        Other Local Corporations – Citizen State Bank of Waverly (freezer funding support) and Walgreens (shopping bags).

·        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 and food storage - access and delivery.

·        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.

·        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.

·        Wholesale purchase of recyclable meal trays.

·        Oliver Equipment Lease for the required equipment to seal the senior meal trays.

·        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.

·        Tireless WCCA Staff support from multiple programs working to braid any allowable resource to make a difference for our seniors.

·        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.