Dear Friends and Partners,
We’ll start
this update by recognizing the pain of those families in the Buffalo area and
across Wright County suffering from Tuesday’s tragic events and loss at the
Buffalo Allina Clinic. Our prayers are with you. If you need support or
just would like to support the healing please visit:
https://www.buffalostrong.care
This is the February 14th Valentine’s Day update
of Wright County’s Care and Nutrition Partnership Support for Seniors
(60+). We are starting our 48th
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, assisted transportation and other logistical issues
as they present.
It
has been a week of milestones at the Wright County Senior Care and
Nutrition Partnership. This week Waverly Café Frozen meal production
reached 65,000 meals produced since May
20th 2020. The Wright County Senior Care and Nutrition
Partnership also topped 90,000 meals delivered to local seniors since the start of the pandemic
in mid-March.
A
sweet Valentine’s Treat for vulnerable seniors and area families – HAPPY
VALENTINE’S DAY!
A figurative Ice Cream Cone that was developed out of concern and necessity can feed a lot of people and the sweet part should be shared. The title comes from a phrase used by Ed, an old friend and Public School Superintendent back in Oklahoma. I don’t think Eddie would have thought his phrase would turn into something so sweet. While continuously perfecting its wonderful flavors, ultimately this Ice Cream Cone is feeding the hearts, minds, and bodies of some of our most vulnerable population in Wright County. If you want to learn more about the development of the Ultimate Ice Cream Cone to Feed Vulnerable Seniors, a blog is available to follow the story throughout the pandemic. WCCA Senior Care and Nutrition Blog If you want to add your ice cream topping, connect or volunteer in one of the many ways listed below or just call WCCA to let us know your thoughts. I’ll bet we can mix you in.
Western Hennepin
In addition to our work in Wright County, NourishingHOPE is extending frozen meal support just beyond the Wright County Line to the east into Western Hennepin County. Seniors there in Western Hennepin County can reach out to NourishingHOPE to learn about frozen meal support in their local community. Communities in Western Hennepin include Corcoran, Greenfield, Hamel, Hassen, Loretto, Rogers, Delano, Hanover, Maple Plain, Otsego, and Rockford. For more information about Western Hennepin services, please contact nourishinghope.oflc@gmail.com or call (763) 477-6300.
Mary says, Happy Valentine’s Day!
https://www.wccaweb.com/Program/Senior_Frozen_Meals
Please
share this email so all our seniors and their family and friends have access to
this information and can confidentially check into resources they may need.
NourishingHOPE distribution this week
Other Food Locations in Wright County
No
one needs to be hungry in Wright County, of course unless they are fasting. Please
contact your local Food Shelf or an Emergency Food Box Partner. Contact
information is available at the Food Shelf and Emergency Food Box Network links
below.
If
you would like to learn more about our Emergency Food Box or consider becoming
an Emergency Food Box Network partner, please call (320) 963-6500 and Dial
Zero.
Wright County COVID-19 IMPACT
As
of February 11th we’ve had 12,165 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wright County. This
measurement began March 13th of 2020. The chart below
demonstrates the daily trend of cases since mid-March. We’ve had 127 new confirmed cases since
last week – 11 new cases over age
70. Cases in the County are currently slowing down to a degree
https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp
Two
additional vaccine location have been added to the vaccine location map this
week.
Vaccine
Wright County locations include:
- CentraCare – Monticello (320)
200-3200 (Appointment required)
- Thrifty White Pharmacy #787 – Annandale (320) 274-3062 (Appointment required and
Pre-registration)
- Walmart #1577 – Buffalo (763) 682-2963 (Appointment required, Pre-screening, and
Pre-registration)
Trailblazer
Transit adds
a new topping this week to the Ice Cream Cone - no cost rides to COVID-19
vaccinations.
Trailblazer Transit will offer transportation at no cost to customers for any rides related to a COVID-19 vaccination. Caretakers and children may also ride along at no cost. Customers will need to coordinate with their health care providers or the vaccination clinics to schedule the appointments for the vaccines and then contact Trailblazer to schedule the transportation.
Rides for
vaccinations are scheduled subject to bus availability and are coordinated with
other rides in normal fashion. Trailblazer Transit may extend hours into
the evening or add hours on Saturdays for the purpose of providing COVID-19
vaccination transportation. Please call toll-free 1-888-743-3828 to
ask any questions and to schedule your transportation. The buses are
clean, safe, and comfortable. Masks are required on the bus and social
distancing polices are in effect. https://www.trailblazertransit.com/program-overview/
https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp
Seniors, if you want to learn
more about access to the vaccine you might consider signing up for an email
update from Wright County Health and Human Services:
Newsletter Sign Up Link
If
you know a Senior
who has limited or no access to email and the Internet they can learn more about the vaccine by calling
the Wright County Coronavirus Information Line:
763-682-7607. These are wonderful resources provided by the County.
If
you just want to know a little bit more about the basics of the vaccine:
http://www.co.wright.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/21224/Vaccine-Fact-Sheet?bidId=
Impact to our oldest residents
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics
Seniors
have so much more to risk. Please Share this information with your friends and the
seniors in your life. Let’s make an intentional effort to protect our seniors and
vulnerable friends and use the time necessary to let the vaccines and herd
immunity do their good work.
As
part of WCCA’s BREAD program partnership, and new budding endeavor, with Grace
Place in Montrose, local volunteers there worked this week to see that local
seniors, either staying at home because of the pandemic or maybe just in the
process of aging, are not feeling alone on Valentine’s Day. One senior
receiving a bag responded to say, “What an unexpected blessing!” We need
to find ways to bless the many seniors that are not getting out as much
anymore.
Grace Place BREAD packing event this week
PLEASE realize that separation and social distancing also has its negative impact on vulnerable seniors. Please share this story so all our seniors and their family and friends know a place to go if they want to confidentially check into resources they may need – also please call the seniors next door or in your town to let them know you care on Valentine’s Day.
If your church or civic organization would like to learn more about partnering with the WCCA BREAD program in support of your local aging friend’s please contact WCCA Aging Alliance staff at (320) 963-6500 Ext 274 or agingservices@wccaweb.com.
Shout-out to Strategic Partners, WCCA Staff, and Volunteers
Sometimes the Ice Cream Cone delivery guy gets a surprise
too! WCCA’s Joel Klaverkamp and one of his new friends thanking Joel with
a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day
Alleluia Church volunteer, Kelly Branch, helping to get frozen meals delivered
in the St. Michael areaMore innovation to add to the Ice Cream Cone this week!
This week we
learned something new. The stack of cardboard boxes almost reached the
ceiling of the food shelf. The outdoor cardboard bin was already
full. Who came to the rescue? Our new cardboard reuse partner – eQuality
Farm!
eQuality Farm volunteers not only help with packing meals, but also with reusing the excess cardboard generated. Adults with disabilities, employed by the farm, break it down for compost layering, making tinder for wood stoves and bedding for chickens. Pictured: Jeremey Rice, Ryan Degner and Jessie Provo.
Senior
Frozen Meal Packing this week
Joel
starts the day at J&B Group’s warehouse freezer who is helping to keep our Ice
Cream Frozen
Frozen meals come in to be packed…
…and
return the same way they came packaged and ready for delivery
Then
it’s off to the local freezers – this week 2,100 frozen
meal went to the Buffalo Crossings and Annandale Food Shelf freezers -- Bob Zimmerman
We could use your help too!
If you have a team that might want to help us pack frozen meals on a Thursday morning, please let us know. Packing usually happens at least once per week and takes less than two hours. Each packing can be done with up to 4 or 5 volunteers. Call 763-658-4414 if you want to learn more about this volunteering opportunity.
If you are willing to help deliver meals to seniors homes, please call 320-963-6500 Ext 274 and let us know so that we can find the best place to plug you in.
If
you or a potential partner would like to help expand these resources 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)
Please forward this email to potential partners!
Happy Valentine’s Day,
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 Coborn’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.
·
Hunger Solutions –
assistance and funding support for food rescue and concept building
·
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 and
produce.
·
Local Food Shelves –
produce distribution, 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 senior meal delivery.
·
Delano Senior Center –
senior services application fulfillment, frozen meal distribution, produce
distribution, as well as Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.
·
NourshingHOPE – senior
services applications fulfillment, frozen meal distribution, and produce
distribution.
·
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), HWY 55 Trailer Sales
of Buffalo, 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,
Grace Place, North Ridge Fellowship Small Group and friends, Montrose United
Methodist Church, Zion Lutheran, Living Water Christian Fellowship, Buffalo
Covenant have provided 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.
·
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.
Comments
Post a Comment