Holiday Schedule EMOW will be closed Monday, Jan. 19th for Martin Luther King Day so the your MLK Day meal will be deliv-ered on Friday, Jan. 16th.

EMOW will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16th for President’s Day so your meal will be delivered on Friday, February 13th.

Our New Location ~ Our move this past September was a success. We have settled in nicely. If you have not visited our new offices at Waite Park Church, please ask for a quick tour next time you are here. We are proud of our new space, and we always have time for you.

Fal l Events Recap

Our annual Mission Nutrition Dining Edition was held on Thursday Sept 18, 2014. It was a great success. Everyone had fun eating and being with friends and neighbors. We had 18 restaurants partic-ipate and to date we have raised appx $3,000. We have pictures on Facebook—check them out! During the state wide fundraising event, Give to the Max Day, held on November 13, 2014, we received 34 donations totaling approx. $2,200. This event was a lot of fun as we could see the donations throughout the day and thanks to Jessie & Reanne, we were able to keep the excitement going via Facebook. EMOW also participated for the first time in the Walk to End Hunger event held at the Mall of America on November 27, 2014. We raised $1,300 with 20+ donors. A big thank you goes out to the Bode Fam-ily who raised the most funds and represented EMOW as walkers!! We participated in the NE Farmers Market last summer by hosting the non-profit booth the first Saturday of every month. We promoted our program to the community, as well as gathered names of interested volunteers. It was a lot of fun meeting new people. We enjoyed the farmers market and have plans to do it again!

612-277-2529 Winter Quarter ~ January 2015 http://www.eastsidemeals.org

Snow Shoveling: Please keep your sidewalks clear of snow and ice for our volunteer delivery drivers! If you need help shoveling your walkway, please contact Northeast Senior Services at 612-781-5096. You can watch KARE11 TV or WCCO

TV for the announcements when EMOW will be closed due to inclement weather.

Meet Gerald: A Veteran MOW Volunteer

“I would do anything for Meals on Wheels!” states Gerald, a volunteer who has been delivering meals to

seniors for 11 years. Gerald got started volunteering because he was bored only a month into his retire-

ment. He heard about Meals on Wheels serving NE Minneapolis, which is where he grew up, and the rest

is history.

Gerald stated that the best part about volunteering with Meals on Wheels is meeting the people. “I have met

some of the nicest people delivering meals and the staff is great.” He said that he also enjoys training the

new folks. Gerald likes to demand “extra pay” for that – that is, extra cookies at the end of his route.

Apparently cookies are not the only “pay” Gerald receives as a volunteer.

A client once asked if he was paid for delivering meals and he said he was

a volunteer. She then replied, “God Bless You Sir” to which he replied

“There’s my pay for the day.” Whenever he delivered meals to her after

that, she’d ask him if he had been “paid” yet that day. Then she would tell

him, “God Bless You Sir” ~ it became an on-going joke between them.

When asked about his clients, Gerald recalled the time he delivered a hot

meal to a nice lady named Anna. As he left her hot meal on her table, he

called to her in the other room. He heard a frantic cry for help so he rushed to

Anna’s side to help her into her wheelchair. After he reported this incident to

MOW, he learned later that the proper procedure is to call 911 when something like that happens.

Fortunately, Anna was just fine.

Gerald also recounted one very friendly client with a nice dog. He got to know this gentleman quite well

and was saddened to hear of his passing. Gerald paid tribute to the gentleman by speaking at his funeral.

Other memorable highlights of volunteering for Meals on Wheels include marching in the NorthEast Parade

when MOW’s theme was healthy food. One a hot summer day Gerald was dressed up as a large piece of

watermelon, with only small watermelon seed openings to see through. Because it was hard to see in his

costume, he accidentally bumped into someone ~ former Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak! With a laugh,

Gerald said he was sure glad not to be arrested. The other memorable event happened in another

NorthEast Parade. Watermelon suit-free, he got to ride in a convertible with “Ms. Hotdish!”

Gerald is a very active volunteer. In addition to Meals on Wheels, he has served as a Salvation Army bell

ringer, volunteers at Fort Snelling Cemetery performing military honors ceremonies, and takes disabled

veterans to lunch through the Fridley American Legion. Gerald lives his life in a purposeful and meaningful

way helping others. EMOW is fortunate to have his service. With 11 years of dedicated service, he’s well

worth countless cookies!

“A client once asked if he

was paid for delivering

meals and he said no – he

was a volunteer. She then

replied, “God Bless You Sir”

and he replied “There’s my

pay for the day!”

~ Gerald

If you or someone you know is in need of additional assistance paying for heating and energy

bills, the Energy Assistance Program may be avail-able. This program, offered through the MN Dept. of Commerce, will help pay home heating costs and furnace repairs for income-qualified house-holds. For more information and to apply, call 1-800-657-3710 or go online http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/consumers/Heating-Assistance/

Free Tax Help for Seniors

If you need help with your taxes, con-tact Eastside Neighborhood Services

at 612-781-6011. They take walk-ins or you can schedule an appointment.