Lookout Staff

December 21, 2010 -- After receiving $100 from the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)/Subaru “Share the Love” grant program for its winning essay, the local chapter of the agency is poised to win some extra cash with your help.

To receive the money, the essay -- which describes how Meals on Wheels West provides clients in need with home medical visits -- must get the most Facebook users to “Like” the story. Winning that portion of the contest could earn this Meals on Wheels program as much as $500 more.

"The money comes at a critical time for Meals on Wheels West," agency officials said. "The country’s economic downturn has made it more difficult to raise money to continue feeding our community’s homebound and other hungry seniors."

The money will be used to provide meals for homebound people with disabilities who are unable to pay for our services. Officials said.

The MOWAA/Subaru “Share the Love” grant is tied to Subaru’s Share the Love Even, which runs through January 3. Santa Monica Subaru will donate $100 to Meals on Wheels West for every new Subaru vehicle sold. For more information about Subaru’s Share the Love Event, go to www.subaru.com/my-subaru/share-the-love.html.

“These Meals on Wheels programs share love every day by bringing food and companionship to America’s hungry seniors,” said MOWAA President and CEO Enid Borden. "We want the world to read these stories and find out more about what these amazing Meals on Wheels programs do every day to ‘Share the Love’ in their communities."

Said RoseMary Regalbuto, who heads the local chapter, “This is often the only companionship our clients experience that day, that week or even that month.”

More than 140 “Share the Love” essays from programs across the country have been posted on MOWAA’s Member blog. The Meals on Wheels program with the most “Likes” will win an additional $500. Those placing 2nd through 10th will receive an additional $250. To “Like” the local essay submitted for this Facebook contest, go to mowaablog.org and search “Meals on Wheels West,” or go to mowaablog.org/?p=887.

MEALS ON WHEELS WEST’S WINNING ESSAY:

The holiday season is a time when most of us share the love with our family and friends. Meals on Wheels shares the love with our local seniors who would otherwise be all alone and hungry during the holidays. It’s only fitting that we are partnering with our friends at Subaru for the third year in a row for their “Share the Love” Event to raise funds to support Meals on Wheels. This is just one story of how we share the love here in our community.

Whatever leads to an individual being homebound- whether that be age, health, or a disability- he or she faces two major difficulties: poor nutrition and loneliness. Meals on Wheels West’s unique program helps prevent both and share the love by bringing homebound people of all ages both food and friendship. Daily, Meals on Wheels West (MOWW) brings each client lunch and dinner, the daily newspaper, fresh fruit and a friendly visit. This is often the only companionship our clients experience. And now, we also give our clients a medical visit!

We noticed that our clients struggle to get to doctors’ offices. So, we bring a physician’s assistant, Brett, into our clients’ homes to make old-fashioned house calls. With his black medical bag, Brett provides many of the same services as a doctor in an office: exams, stitches, medications and prescriptions.

Charles, a 96-year-old veteran with no additional insurance, recently had a stent put in his heart. Instead of remaining in the hospital alone, he is in his own home receiving the medical care he needs. The medical visits by Brett and MOWW’s nutritious and delicious meals allow Charles to live healthy and with dignity, which is what he and everyone deserves.