Meals on Wheels of Collin County is proud to announce it has been awarded a $4,000.00 grant from the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) thanks to the generosity of Subaru of America.

As part of MOWAA’s participation in the Subaru of America “Share the Love” event, Meals on Wheels of Collin County worked with Brandon Tomes Subaru and Subaru of Plano during the 2012 holiday season to deliver Christmas gifts to seniors receiving meals.

The Subaru employees donned red caps and decorated Subaru SUVs as reindeer with antlers to go with the meal volunteers in McKinney and Plano for this annual event. “Subaru has become an integral part of our Secret Santa event at Christmas, and for many of the seniors this is the only gift they received,” stated Ray Ricchi, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels. Ricchi added, “We are experiencing an increased demand for home delivered meals and this award will support our agency as we increase the number of seniors served.“

As one of the five Subaru “Share the Love” event charitable partners, MOWAA created the “Share the Love” grant program to foster partnerships between local Meals On Wheels programs and Subaru dealerships. MOWAA is awarding $200,000 in grants to 66 Meals On Wheels programs across the country that involved dealership employees in their efforts to serve homebound seniors in their community.

“We greatly appreciate Subaru’s fifth consecutive year of commitment to Meals On Wheels through its “Share the Love” event,” said Ellie Hollander, incoming MOWAA President and CEO. “We also owe a sincere debt of gratitude to the Subaru purchasers who generously selected Meals On Wheels as their beneficiary. As a result, our programs can purchase food and equipment to provide more nutritious meals to hungry, homebound seniors in the local communities in which Subaru employees and customers live and do business. Having that kind of social impact is enormous and speaks volumes about the company’s commitment to ‘sharing the love.’”

Meals On Wheels and Senior Services of Collin County a non-profit 501(c)(3) was founded in 1976 to serve the rapidly increasing needs of the area’s seniors, providing nutrition to improve their health by preparing and supplying meals to more than 750 homebound and isolated seniors daily. The seniors receiving meals through the Meals on Wheels program are unable to shop and/or prepare a balanced meal for themselves. Our staff and volunteers are often the only daily contact our seniors have. The Mission is to combat isolation and promote the heath, dignity and independence of those 60 years or older.

For more information, contact Meals on Wheels of Collin County, 600 N. Tennessee Street, McKinney, at 972-562- 6996 or www.mealsonwheelscc.org.

Story courtesy of Meals on Wheels