Meals on Wheels Montgomery County receives generous donation

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Meals on Wheels Montgomery County recently underwent a complete rebranding, and the decision has begun to substantially pay off. After decades of being known as “The Friendship Center,” staff realized that too many residents didn’t know the services offered, so a new name was chosen that quickly and accurately reflected the mission.

In early June, Lori and Eric Johnson of The Woodlands, became the first major gifts donors of the 2014-2015 Annual Campaign for Meals on Wheels Montgomery County, with a donation of $60,000 to the organization. Lori and Eric have been longtime supporters of the organization’s annual MOW Campaign, but this year, they decided that it was time to donate more to ensure a better quality of life for homebound seniors in our community.

“My grandfather, who has since passed away, was homebound and received a meal through Meals on Wheels every day,” said Johnson. “He appreciated the meals, and he appreciated the Meals on Wheels volunteers, who he called ‘the ladies,’ that delivered his meals just as much. He was very fond of the ladies because they offered him companionship. It was the bright point of his day and it made me feel good knowing that someone was checking on him.”

Part of Meals on Wheels Montgomery County’s rebranding is a new focus on growth and adjusting its revenue stream. In the past, MOWMC has generated about 80% of its revenue from federal, state, and local grants and only 20% from private unrestricted donations. The Executive Director, Allison Hulett, and the organization’s new Director of Development, Nicole Rogers, have plans to increase the number of Montgomery County donors in order to better balance the organization’s assets.

“As Meals on Wheels Montgomery County moves forward, we are making sure that we have a strong, active, and engaged donor-base that is essential for serving our homebound seniors in need.” said Hulett.

“Our relationship with the donors and our community is also being a part of the long-term caregiving solution for so many families, so that their loved ones can age in place in their homes, where they want to be, without being isolated,” said Rogers.

Currently, Meals on Wheels Montgomery County has a waiting list of 280 homebound seniors who are waiting to begin meal service to their homes. Unfortunately, the organization does not have enough resources to meet the needs of this waiting list, which is why reaching out to the community and developing relationships with donors is so important.

“Lori and I hope that our donation to Meals on Wheels Montgomery County will not only help serve more homebound seniors, but also will illustrate our belief that Meals on Wheels is an organization worth donating to. We hope it will generate more donations and resources for the organization.” said Eric Johnson.

Of the $60,000 donation from Lori and Eric Johnson, $30,000 will be used to buy a new Meals on Wheels van, so that meals can be delivered to our volunteer delivery sites serving homebound seniors throughout Montgomery County. The remaining $30,000 will be used to support the organization’s infrastructure and ability to begin moving seniors off of the waitlist.

Meals on Wheels Montgomery County is located at 1202 Callahan Avenue, Conroe, TX 77301. For information on becoming a donor, please visit our website at www.mowmc.org or call or email Nicole Rogers at (936) 756-5828 ext. 102 or nicole@mowmc.org