November 27 Media Day: Speak with Seniors Being Served During Media Day on November 27, Meals & Wheels Associate Director Libby Bellinger will be available for interviews from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. at Waco’s Lee Lockwood Library, at 2801 W. Waco Drive. Media members may follow meal delivery routes starting at 9:00 a.m. to get b-roll/photos and interview volunteers and seniors. WACO, Texas (November 25, 2014) — First National Bank McGregor today announced Meals & Wheels as its sixth and final Charity Champion for the 2014 season. This nonprofit serves McLennan, Falls and Hill counties by delivering meals to 1,000 senior and disabled residents at senior centers and in their homes. In October and November of 2014, Meals & Wheels received an average 50 new calls per month from people who need help, an increase of 40 percent from 2012. Across Texas, there are currently more than 726,000 seniors struggling with hunger. Meals & Wheels Executive Director Melody McDermitt invites media members to get a close-up look at the growing need in Central Texas by following volunteers along meal delivery routes on Thanksgiving Day. They depart at 9:00 a.m. from Waco’s Lee Lockwood Library. “You have to see and hear it for yourself to truly understand,” said McDermitt. “Those hot meals and daily visits help our clients feel connected to the community, and know someone cares about them and their well-being.” As a Charity Champion, Meals & Wheels will be the focus of a marketing campaign funded by the FNB McGregor, including broadcast, print and web advertising and social media efforts. A video about the organization will be played and its representatives honored at the December 6 Baylor University football game in McLane Stadium. In 2015, the bank will cover costs for Meals & Wheels board of directors to attend executive leadership training by 360 Solutions to help the nonprofit achieve its goals. “We are extremely honored that FNB McGregor has named us a Charity Champion,” said McDermitt. “We hope this will raise awareness and help us recruit volunteers who can give one hour of their time per week to bring a meal and a smile to 10 homebound individuals.” The nonprofit also needs 100 17-inch coolers to transport food during meal deliveries, along with additional donation and grant funding, to cover meal costs. “We want to ensure that elderly Central Texans don’t go hungry and that they know they are valued,” said First National Bank McGregor’s president, David Littlewood. “By naming Meals & Wheels a Charity Champion, we are reinvesting into a successful organization currently helping seniors remain living at home with dignity as long as they can.” ABOUT MEALS & WHEELS WACO Meals & Wheels has existed in Waco since 1967 as a private nonprofit serving homebound individuals. The organization provides food through the Meals on Wheels program and partners with Waco Transit to arrange transportion for Medicaid patients to medical appointments. The office in Waco serves more than 1,000 residents across McLennan, Falls and Hill counties. The majority of clients are women who live alone, aged 80 and up. By receiving a healthy meal and visit from a volunteer five days a week, many are able to remain independent longer, living at home instead of moving to a nursing home. When interviewing a new applicant, Meals & Wheels staff members also connect individuals with other agencies to meet any additional needs. ABOUT FIRST NATIONAL BANK MCGREGOR’S CHARITY CHAMPIONS To honor local charitable organizations while commemorating the bank’s 125th anniversary in 2014, First National Bank McGregor launched a program entitled “Charity Champions” in partnership with Baylor University and 360 Solutions. The bank is celebrating this milestone by developing a new non-profit leadership program, which will empower local charities for years to come. Previous First National Bank McGregor Charity Champion 2014 winners have been Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of McLennan and Hill Counties, AVANCE Waco, Generations Adoptions, the Family Abuse Center and Waco Habitat for Humanity. The bank will continue its Charity Champion program during the 2015 Baylor football season. Visit https://www.fnb-mcgregor.com/charity-champions/ to nominate a charity for consideration. Follow Charity Champions on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. ### MEDIA CONTACT: Bage Anderson C (254) 772-9450 [email protected]
