Domestic Funding Cuts Will Impact Meal ProgramFederal budget cuts, also known as sequestration, that went into effect in March, will eliminate more than five percent of our federal funding beginning in July. That translates to a loss of more than 60,000 meals annually.

“We started our organization as a government partnership in 1970 and now receive about one-third of our operating income from government funds. The community at large provides the majority of our income,” said Meals on Wheels People Executive Director Joan Smith. “We will experience a $22,000 cut in our budget this fiscal year before the end of June and will be challenged to continue the level of service we have provided to our most vulnerable citizens.”

Meals on Wheels People serves 17,000 seniors in the greater metropolitan area annually. For 17 percent of those seniors, the meal provided by Meals on Wheels People is their only meal of the day.

“Nearly 75 percent of the seniors we serve are high-risk nutritionally,” Joan said. “And more than 25 percent of our homebound clients live below the

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

poverty level. We provide a very basic service for frail, elderly citizens who often have no other resources. And, if projected cuts to all services to the elderly are realized, the demand for meals will be even greater.”

For more than 43 years, Meals on Wheels People has provided hot, nutritious meals to every senior who requests one. In light of the recent budget cuts, this promise could be in jeopardy. “We are just now beginning to figure out how this will affect our program,” Joan said. “At least a 5.1 percent reduction in funds is expected, but it could be as high as 10 percent.”

“The meals we provide are not a luxury item. They are often what allow homebound seniors to live independently in their own home rather than in institutional care.” Joan said. “It costs Meals on Wheels People $1,200 annually to provide meals to a senior, while a year of nursing home care in Oregon tops $60,000. It makes financial sense to continuing funding senior nutrition programs.”

A Desire to Give Back Inspires GiftSee pages 2 & 3

IN ThIS ISSue

N e W SN e W S

MLK Center Gets a FaceliftSee pages 6 & 7

Meals on Wheels Delivery is a Family AffairSee page 10

Page 2 mealsonwheelspeople.org

A Desire to Give Back Inspires GiftEvery once in a while you meet a genuinely nice guy. You know who I mean. It’s the fellow with whom you make an instant connection. You want to buy him a cup of coffee and just kick back and shoot the breeze. And before you know it, he’s got you involved in a charity project or donating money for a certain cause and you’re happy about it. That guy is Worth Caldwell.

For nearly 20 years, Worth has been dedicated to serving seniors in North and Northeast Portland. Long a community activist and volunteer, Worth agreed to serve on Meals on Wheels People’s board of directors in 1994. Worth is a member of East Portland Rotary, whose members had been delivering Meals on Wheels out of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for years, so he was familiar with the program. And, like nearly everything Worth undertakes, he jumped in with both feet.

“I joined the board around the time when we first began looking for property to build a new building,” Worth said. “It was a boom time in the real estate business and every time we found a lot that would work someone else bought it! I brought in Bill Wyse of Wyse Investments to work on the land part and Chuck Carlbom, who was then head of Western Family Foods, to head up fundraising. By 2002, the building was built and paid for when the staff moved in. It was a great team effort.”

It wasn’t long before Worth began delivering meals out of the MLK Center. “I was especially interested in the MLK Center because my family had a funeral home located on NE 20th and Burnside, not too far away,” Worth said. “My parents loved to travel by train and they got to know the porters who were based out of Portland. So, when one of the porters had a death in the family, they would call my dad to help out with the funeral. Before long, our funeral home was doing more business with the African American community than any other funeral home in Portland. When I had the time to give back, I wanted to make sure to do so in the community that had helped build my business.”

When the MLK Center was looking for a fundraising event eight years ago, Worth asked fellow board member Teletha Benjamin if she would consider making her legendary jambalaya for the center. She said yes, but only if Worth would get East Portland Rotary to help out at Vernon Elementary School where her granddaughter was a student. This September the Jambalaya Festival and Barbecue is expected to raise more than $30,000 and East Portland Rotary members are still volunteering at Vernon School.

Meals on Wheels People is not Worth’s only cause. Early in his career he was named one of

Portland’s Junior First Citizens. He has volunteered with the March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, the Oregon Funeral Directors Association and The Royal Rosarians (he is a past prime minister).

Worth and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of five children. They’ve known each other since they were children because their parents were friends. They sold the funeral home in the mid-1990s and have concentrated on charitable work ever since. “I thought by this time he would have run out of energy and sit down to read a book, but that hasn’t happened yet!” Barbara said with a laugh. The Caldwells have named Meals on Wheels People as a beneficiary in their estate plan, along with several Catholic charities and the Royal Rosarians.

People are so much happier when they have a sense of independence. everyone wants that, but not everyone can have that. At Meals on Wheels People, we help make that happen.

~ Worth Caldwell

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“I enjoy helping those less fortunate and it’s easy to step in to help those who really need it — like the seniors we serve,” Worth said. “I’ve been in hundreds of nursing homes over the course of my career, so I know how important it is to try to keep a senior living independently. People are so much happier when they have a sense of independence. Everyone wants that, but not everyone can have that. At Meals on Wheels People,

we help make that happen.

“I encourage anyone who is 50 and older to take a look at the future,” Worth said. “If they have discretionary income, consider making an estate gift. Not everyone has the luxury, but if they can, their gift will make a difference in the life of someone else.”

For information on how you can include Meals on Wheels People in your will or estate plan, contact our Chief Development

Barbara and Worth Caldwell have remembered Meals on Wheels People in their estate plan. It was an easy decision for them to make.

Officer Dev Dion at dev.dion@mealsonwheelspeople.org or call 503.953.8133.

VoLuNTeeR FACTIn Fiscal Year 2012, more than 9,800 individuals volunteered 364,886 hours for Meals on Wheels People. Based on oregon’s minimum wage of $8.80, that equals $3,210,996 in free labor.

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Battle Ground Diner Celebrates 100th BirthdayIt’s easy to spot Marion Guttenfelder at the Battle Ground Center where he comes for lunch every Wednesday. He’s the dapper gentlemen who shares a table with four lovely ladies. Same table, same ladies every week. When asked why she sits with Marion every week, one of his companions answered, “Why, because he’s so good looking!” Not bad for someone who just celebrated his 100th birthday.

Marion was born at home on a farm near Menlo, Iowa on March 12, 1913. He and his siblings were put to work doing farm chores as soon as they were old enough. When he graduated from high school, he took a job on a neighboring farm for a salary of $9 a month plus room and board. “I knew early on that I did not want to be a farmer the rest of my life,” Marion said. “It was hard work from morning to night. I didn’t really have a plan, but I was mechanically inclined, so I figured something would turn up.”

A friend invited Marion to join him in Des Moines to seek their fortune. His first job was with the famous tea room at Younkers Department Store in downtown Des Moines where he worked as a dishwasher, waiter and cook. He registered for a diesel engineering course at the local trade school, but could not afford the tuition. So he gave the school his 1926 Chevrolet in trade. He finished the course at the height of the Depression and jobs were

hard to find. He spent the summer working for an amusement park that traveled around the state and then enrolled in a correspondence course offered by the Hanfield Diesel School of Chicago.

In 1937 he found a job at a manufacturing plant, joined the machinists union and earned $16 a week. “But there was no income tax in those days, so I was living high on

the hog!” Marion said. Soon Marion found a new job with the Rural Electrification Administration, a federal project dedicated to bringing electricity to rural areas of the country, and relocated to rural Iowa to begin work at a new power plant.

“I was going with a girl, Viola, in Des Moines at the time,” Marion said. “When I took the job with the REA, I told her I guessed we would

Marion Guttenfelder celebrated his 100th birthday last month at the Battle Ground Center with his regular lunch companions. From left to right are Betty Beamon, Lillian Barnes, Lois Maddex and Roberta Harvey.

mealsonwheelspeople.org Page 5

not be seeing each other anymore. But she did not want to give up on me. She had just graduated from nursing school, so she got a job at the hospital in the town near where I was working. We got married in June 1941.”

Marion worked at the power plant until May 1942. He knew his draft number was coming up, so he enlisted in the Navy. Nearly 70 years later, his eyes still well up with tears at the thought of his departure for boot camp. “It was the worst day of my life,” he said. “Here I was a newlywed. I didn’t know what would happen to Viola, I didn’t know if I was going to be shipped overseas, I didn’t know if would come back alive.” Marion was one of the lucky ones. He spent the war years as a machinist on ships that transported troops and supplies along the East Coast. He never saw battle.

When the war was over, Marion and Viola followed her parents, who had just moved to Washington.

He worked a variety of machinists’ jobs, including the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Boeing and Willamette Iron Works, from which he retired in 1977. He and Viola spent several years on a small five-acre farm in Battle Ground, growing blueberries and fruit trees. They also enjoyed traveling around the United States in a converted van, including several trips to Alaska. A severe auto accident in 1990 put an end to their driving days and Marion and Viola moved to LaCenter to live with their son Marvi in 2010. Viola died in April 2011, just a few months shy of their 70th wedding anniversary.

Marion now dines at the Battle Ground Center one day a week and also dines at La Center. He gets a hot, nutritious meal and has a chance to socialize with others. “I don’t know why I’ve lived so long,” Marion said. “I don’t smoke and will eat pretty much anything. My wife was always big on nutrition and made me take vitamins. Maybe that’s it. And I’ve never been bored. I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life — farmer, restaurant worker, diesel engineering, machinist — but it’s all been good. I’ve been a lucky man.”

I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life — farmer, restaurant worker, diesel engineering, machinist — but it’s all been good. I’ve been a lucky man.

~ Marion Guttenfelder

VoLuNTeeR FACTIt takes 500 people every weekday to help serve and deliver meals in the Portland-Vancouver area.

Need a Meal?

Want to register a loved one to receive daily, hot Meals on Wheels?

Visit us at mealsonwheelspeople.org or phone 503.736.6325.

Page 6 mealsonwheelspeople.org

Our Martin Luther King, Jr. Center is a busy place. Opened originally in 1990, the new center combined two smaller centers located in Northeast Portland. More than 300 meals are served at this location every weekday and, since it is collocated with Multnomah County Aging & Disability Services, there is a lot of traffic through its doors. After more than 20 years of serving seniors, the MLK Center needed a facelift.

Under the direction of interior designer Sallee Humphrey of DECA, Inc. and her associate Mayumi Nakazato (Sallee is a fomer Meals on Wheels People board member and donated her services), MLK underwent a transformation. Multnomah County installed new flooring, then the entire center was painted. But the big change took place one weekend in February. After the seniors had left on Friday, a volunteer crew came in and removed all of the old furniture and stuff that had accumulated over the course of 20 years. In went new tables and chairs, custom-made banquettes, leather arm chairs and a flat-screen television donated by Soroptimists. New art was hung on the walls and bookshelves were installed. When the seniors came in the following Monday, they couldn’t believe they were in the same center.

“I couldn’t believe the transformation,” said regular diner and volunteer Gus. “I actually

Martin Luther King, Jr. Center Gets Facelift

though, ‘Am I in the right place?!’”

“It’s just beautiful,” said Annie. “This place is like my second home. I come here every day and it’s nice to have such pretty furnishings.”

Alice said, “It’s fantastic — a big difference. The new décor makes it

I couldn’t believe the transformation. I actually though, “Am I in the right place?!”

~ Gus, Diner & Volunteer

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From the executive DirectorI remember the comments of a senior and recent immigrant who said that the first time she walked into an American grocery store she cried. She was overwhelmed by the sight of so much food. She said it was beautiful to see. Another immigrant senior told me that she thought everyone in the United States was rich. I asked her how she defined wealth and she said that most people had two televisions, two cars, lived in a house with land and had all the food they needed. In these days it is a luxury to have access to all the food you need. The federal reports indicate that one in four older adults lack adequate daily nutrition support.

In our world of plenty we may not see how many people live on the edge and manage day to day with so little. We are currently conducting our annual client survey and daily read comments about how important the meal program is to

survival. Seventeen percent of our seniors report that the meal they receive from Meals on Wheels People is their only meal of the day. Can one meal help you to thrive or will it just prevent starvation?

The seniors we serve are not visible to the public. Three thousand of the seniors we serve each day are homebound; many have not entered a grocery store in years. Two thousand seniors who dine at our meal sites each day struggle to make ends meet and at times the cost of transportation to the meal program is a deterrent.

Reduced federal funding has thrown yet another roadblock in our path to accomplish our vision that no senior go hungry or experience social isolation. But our resolve to meet such a critical community need is not diminished. Our determination is stronger than ever to champion this crisis that is invisible to most.

Ten thousand volunteers see the seniors we serve and have responded by working in our centers, delivering meals, checking on homebound seniors daily and by offering financial support. I encourage you to be aware, be involved and continue to share the wealth. Not all hunger and blight is in a faraway place — it is right here in our community.

seem really homey and I love the new floor.”

Warren was the most enthusiastic. “It’s just like the 21 Club in New York!” he said. “And those leather armchairs look like the ones that were on the Zeppelins before the war. I hadn’t been to this center for a while, but I came in three weeks ago and couldn’t believe the transformation!”

MLK, Jr. Center Manager David Lomax said his seniors have been very happy with the transformation of their center. “They take real pride in the new furniture and want to take care of it. And there are a lot of old Western movies playing on the TV every afternoon!”

Funding for the project was secured through grants and private donations designated for the project.

Corporate Partner UpdateColumbia Credit Union donated $15,000 to serve as presenting sponsor of the Clark County Spring Luncheon.

Organically Grown recently made 200 cases of prime tangerines available to us at an extreme discount.

Dave’s Killer Bread donates 500 loaves of bread to Meals on Wheels People each week.

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Valentine-A-Gram, the popular gift box filled with Cinnabons, coffee, juice and other treats delivered on Valentine’s Day, has raised more than $1 million over the past 18 years to provide hot meals to homebound seniors. What began as a small fundraising event at our center in the Hollywood neighborhood has grown into a region-wide event anticipated by thousands of people each year.

Valentine-A-Grams were delivered to 3,400 individuals and businesses throughout the Portland-Vancouver area on Feb. 14, 2013. All of the products for the gift boxes were donated so that 100 percent of the money raised goes to support Meals on Wheels People. Hundreds of people who volunteer to deliver Valentine- A-Grams make the event possible each year.

Valentine-A-Gram 2013 included an extra special gift for two lucky people. LaRog Brothers donated two $1,000 gift certificates — one for a purchaser who made an extra donation at the time of purchase and one for a Valentine-A-Gram recipient. Names were drawn at random and Susan Oberst and Tina Keeler were the recipients of the gift certificates.

Sponsors for this year’s Valentine-A-Gram included Cinnabon, Jamba Juice, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Sun Orchard Juices, Food Services of America, Steven’s Integrated Solutions, Shari’s Café & Pie, Old Spaghetti Factory, NW Natural, KEX Radio and LaRog Brothers.

Valentine-A-Gram Raises $1 Million in 18 Years

Employees from Marquis Care delivered in teams

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We had announced that 2013 would be the final year for Valentine-A-Gram. Steve Foltz, the Cinnabon and Jamba Juice franchise owner who spearheads the project every year, wants to find a new and different way to support Meals on Wheels People going forward. But our customers were heartbroken. We received hundreds of calls from purchasers and recipients alike who did not want to see an end to this unique holiday tradition. We listened!

We are considering ways to bring back a re-invented Valentine-A-Gram in 2014. The gift box will not contain Cinnabons, but it will contain something special that you can have delivered to your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day 2014. Watch for an announcement later this fall as we unveil the next generation of Valentine- A-Gram!

We received hundreds of

calls from purchasers and

recipients alike who did

not want to see an end

to this unique holiday

tradition. We listened.

We are considering ways

to bring back a

re-invented Valentine-

A-Gram in 2014.

Support your neighborhood Meals on Wheels People center by participating in one of these events scheduled in the coming months. Details available at mealsonwheelspeople.org.

Tulip Sale, Washougal CenterCelebrate spring with potted tulips or a color bowl from DeGoede Bulb Farm. Six Holland tulip bulbs ready to burst into bloom are $15, beautiful color bowls are $20. Plants can be picked up at the Washougal Center on May 11 or delivered for an extra $5.

Vaudeville in the Attic, Tigard Center, April 27, 7 p.m.A fun-filled look at memories triggered by viewing an old picture album in Grandma’s attic. Show includes music from the 1920s, comedy skits and tap dancing. Tickets are $25 and the show is presented by Mask & Mirror Community Theater.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Forest Gove Center, May 4, 6 p.m. Enjoy an authentic Chicken Mole dinner for just $12.

Spring Dinner & Auction, Washougal Center, May 10, 6 p.m. An evening of Caribbean food prepared by Chef Rob Guetter of The Puffin Café and steel drum music presented by Terry Barber and Broken Slide Music. Special guests Washougal Mayor Sean Guard, Camas Mayor Scott Higgins and AMNW Host Helen Raptis. Tickets are $25.

What's happening at our Centers This Spring

Levé, a group of charitable young women with a desire to actively make a difference in their local community, has selected Meals on Wheels People as one of nine recipients of the proceeds from the 2013 Charity Ball. In honor of their 10th anniversary, Levé will feature all nine of the nonproft organizations they have funded since their initial Charity Ball in 2004. Meals on Wheels People was their charity of choice for 2011

Levé Showcases Meals on Wheels Peopleand will be featured throughout the month of April.

Need more info or want to learn how you can attend the Charity Ball this December? Visit their website at leve-nw.org.

VoLuNTeeR FACTMeals on Wheels People has one of the largest volunteer forces in the state with nearly 10,000 active volunteers.

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Meals on Wheels Delivery is a Family AffairWhen Louise Piacentini shows up to deliver her weekly route at the Elm Court Center, it’s not a solo act. She always brings a helper or two or five. The mother of seven children, she did her first route when her youngest child started first grade. That was in 1980. All these years later, she still delivers meals once a week and always brings along several family members. When I caught up with her on a recent rainy Thursday, she had brought along her sisters Mary Ann Sacomano and Nancy Andresen, her daughter Mary Piacentini and two of her nieces Karen Chalmers and Kristi Schlotfeldt.

Louise loved delivering Meals on Wheels from the very first day more than 30 years ago. “I still love delivering,” she said. “You meet so many people and encounter different personalities. You get to know the people on your route and look forward to seeing them every week. I wanted to share that experience with my family and it’s become a tradition for us.”

“We’re a very close family,” said niece Karen Chalmers. “Delivering meals every week is our connection. We catch up on family news, have fun delivering the meals and always have lunch together after. I can’t imagine missing out on our Thursday delivery day.”

Louise tells the story of one rather cranky lady on her route. “Oh,

she was just mean! Nothing I said would crack that hard exterior. And then I started to bring my two-year-old granddaughter along on the route. Little by little, the lady on my route began to thaw and she so looked forward to our visits. She even began to hug my granddaughter when we arrived. It just goes to show what a difference Meals on Wheels can make to lonely seniors.”

The weekly Meals on Wheels route has become legendary in Louise’s extended family. “We have a cousin who is a priest in Italy,” said Louise’s sister Mary Ann. “He came for a visit last summer and insisted we take him with us on our route. He was so impressed with the service, he said he was going

to look into starting something similar in his town back in Italy!”

Louise’s daughter Mary and niece Kristi had their own route when they were university students and now enjoy delivering with three generations. “It really is part of who we are as a family,” Kristi said. “Our children come along with us on school holidays and we hope they will continue to deliver as they grow older.”

Meals on Wheels People depends on nearly 500 people daily to serve and deliver meals throughout the greater metropolitan area. If you’re interested in starting your own family tradition of delivering meals, visit us at mealsonwheelspeople.org or phone 503.736.6325.

Delivering meals for more than 30 years are members of the Piacentini family, from left in back: Kristi, Mary, Nancy and Karen. Seated from left: Louise and Mary Ann.

mealsonwheelspeople.org Page 11

Dine Around Town and Support Meals on Wheels PeopleDine at one of several eateries in the greater metro area during the month of May and you can help provide hot meals to homebound seniors at the same time. During Dine Around Town, participating restaurants will either hold a half-night for Meals on Wheels People (donate half the proceeds from a particular day) or include a buckslip where patrons have the option of adding a donation to Meals on Wheels People when they pay their bill.

to

wn

di

ne

a r o u n d

to benefit Meals on Wheels People

These restaurants will include a buckslip for their patrons during the month of May:

Reedsville Café7575 SW TV Highway, Hillsboro

Mill Creek Pub1710 SW 9th, Suite 1010, Battle Ground

Seasons & Regions6660 SW Capital Highway, Portland

Marco’s Café7910 SW 35th Ave., Portland

Qdoba Mexican Grill All seven metro locations

Peachtree Restaurant 6600 NE Hwy. 99, Vancouver

Salvador Molly’s1523 SW Sunset, Portland

Las Primas3971 N Williams, Portland

BJ Willy’s Woodfired Pizza & Pub12345 SW Horizon Blvd., Beaverton

BJ Willy’s Public House & Eatery1717 Willamette Falls Drive, West Linn

BJ Willy’s Woodfired Pizza & Pub22000 Willamette Drive, West Linn

These restaurants will hold a half-night:

Portland Brewing Company Taproom2730 NW 31st Ave., Portland

Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

McMenamin’s Highland Pub 4225 SE 182nd Ave., Gresham Monday, May 20, 5 to 10 p.m.

Mississippi Pizza3552 N Mississippi, Portland Tuesday, May 21, 6 to 9 p.m.

VoLuNTeeR FACTAccording to the Corporation for National and Community Service, oregon ranked #8 in the nation for volunteer service in 2011. Washington came in at #9.

NON PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDPORTLAND OR

PERMIT NO. 1087

P.o Box 19477Portland, or 97280-0477

tel: 503.953.8136 mealsonwheelspeople.org Julie Piper Finley, aBC, editor julie.piperfinley@mealsonwheelspeople.org