Send a card with Meals on Wheels.

“More than a meal”

2015 marks the 50th Anniversary of Meals On Wheels in Calgary, Alberta.  I think that deserves celebrating!  Here on the blog today is an easy way to get involved, and most importantly, make a difference in the day of one of the recipients of a meal provided by Meals On Wheels.

Meals on Wheels is global charity organization that provides meals at home for those who are unable to prepare their own. Often, but not always, the recipient of the meal is an older person who may not have any family or much in the way of social interaction with others as they are often limited in their mobility and not able to leave their house in a way that most of us take for granted.

When I contacted my local Meals on Wheels to see if there would be a need and interest to have cards written and delivered to their clients they were more than excited.

So here is how it works:

1) Cards must be generic as they will go to either a man or woman
2) Address your card or postcard (s)  to:
#CardsOnWheels,
5759-80 Avenue SE,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada,
T2C  4S6
3) No need for an envelope on each individual card.
4) Feel free to sign the card, at least your first name, so it feels a bit more personal
5) Suggestions for what to write inside could include: “Merry Christmas” “Wishing you a special holiday.” “May 2015 be a wonderful year” etc.
6) This is a perfect opportunity to get the kids in your life involved. Doodles, drawings and paintings brighten anyone’s day.

FAQ

1) Can I send a card to my own, local, Meals on Wheels?  Yes, but I would encourage you to contact them directly to sort out the details as all Meals on Wheels are run independently and may have their own programs.

2) What happens to my card?  For privacy concerns, and to ensure appropriateness, all cards are opened before being assigned to a specific Meals on Wheels client.  Your card will then be hand delivered, along with a meal, to the client. I have been invited to accompany a meal delivery where this will happen.  I can’t wait to share with you the reactions of those who receive.

3)Why  address the card to “#CardsOnWheels?”    First of all, this is a pilot project, and my vision is that it will spread to other Meals on Wheels (I like to dream big) and to do that in a way that is supportive to existing workloads and logistics, we will be tracking how many cards are received.  Also, we hope to generate a ‘buzz’ on social media for this project and get as many people involved as possible. Using a hash tag – # allows us to do this.

4) Are any other Meals on Wheels currently participating?   Glad you asked.   I am partnering with my friend Carrie at A Mother’s Shadow to do the same project at her local Meals on Wheels in Utah.

Won’t you join me in sending some handwritten cheer?

P.S.  This project lends itself easily to youth groups, boy scouts, girl guides, school classrooms, home schoolers’,  girls night out, office teams,  etc.  I would love to see pictures of what you do with this idea, be it the cards or the people you do it with.  Remember to post to your social media sites using the hash tag #CardsOnWheels.