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i,-r <br />>V A personal storv <br />How WeCAN helps older adults <br />& <br />mte <br />'-i- <br />‘i-N <br />M couple. Our dedicated volunteer <br />Hot meab and friendly smiles are <br />home-delivered to local older adults <br />throu|^ WeCAN's Meals-On-Wheels <br />program. The hot meals nourish the <br />body. The friendly smiles nourish the <br />mind and aouL <br />For the past 17 years, WeCAN’s <br />Meals program has delivered noon <br />dinners to seniors and homebound <br />people with disabilities in the <br />Westonka and Maple Plain area. <br />Recently the famify of Ethel anc <br />Joseph (not their real names) called i s <br />to begin delivering meals to this <br />homebound couple in western Inde­ <br />pendence. Ethel and Joseph want to <br />continue living in the comfort of their <br />rural farm home as long as they can. <br />But Joseph has Alzheimer's disease, <br />and Ethel has just bad a mikl stroke. <br />WeCAN's Meals-On-Wheels <br />program now provides hot noon <br />dinners Monday through Friday to this <br />snowdrifts after the-Halloween storm <br />to bring them their meals. Senior <br />Services is also working with the family <br />to arrange home heaith care and social <br />services so the couple has help arrang ­ <br />ing for their other needs. <br />Ethel and Joseph represent an <br />emerging need in our community. <br />Older adults and the homebound in <br />the Corcoran-Loretto-Greenfield area, <br />and parts of Independence are not <br />currently served by a Meals-On- <br />Wheeb program. WeCAN is now <br />working to expand our Me »ls-On- <br />Wheeis to this area. <br />But we need you. h-lp. <br />WcC.AN needs vour donation to <br />make this expansion happen. We­ <br />CAN needs new volunteers who are <br />willing to deliver dinners to the seniors <br />living in the expar ton area. With <br />your help, we can make sure all <br />seniors, no matter where they live, <br />have access to hot meals and friendly <br />smiles. <br />p <br />I I* ; < • <br />Barb :iford may be retired <br />10 years as bead secretary for <br />t^stonka Community Services, but <br />I she stiU serves our community with <br />thousands of hours of volunteerism <br />each year. Barb was one of the <br />' founders of Westonka Community <br />Action Network, end put in long hourt <br />drivers even made it through the icy <br />WeCAN volunteer profile <br />Barb Thomfoid's volunteerism <br />sparks community services <br />ofconunnnily planning and fund- <br />raising to get WeCAN off the ground. <br />i ■7?' <br />M <br />■:. — <br />If <br />Thomford <br />Barb remains active with WeC.^N bv <br />serving as one of the board of directors <br />and volunteering her time on <br />WeCAN's emergency' assistance <br />progra.Ti. <br />In addition to interviewing people <br />applying fur emergency assistance. <br />Barb prepares WeCAN reports and <br />receipts for the county on our emer­ <br />gency services. <br />Barb also volunteers her time for <br />Westonka Intervention, which belp.« <br />battered women go through the court <br />process of getting orders for protec ­ <br />tion. Recently she wa^ elected as their <br />new President. She is working on <br />grass-roots fund-raising efforts, such as <br />bridge tournaments, to build a <br />women's shelter in the Westonka area. <br />Barb's volunteer service also <br />Includes working for the Friends of <br />Westonka Library, and preparing <br />braille books through a committee <br />from Mt. Olive Church. <br />;.t- <br />WeCAN elects <br />new Board <br />of Directors <br />Participants at WeCAN's Oct. 24th <br />Annual Membership Meeting elected <br />21 Board Members. Elected to tbe <br />three-year terms were Manmret <br />Hols'e (Westonka School L/istrict <br />social worker), Len Harrell (Mound <br />police chief), Rosemarie Fabrega- <br />Snyder (businesswoman), Steve <br />Harpestad (community leader). Bob <br />Iverson (Good Shepherd pastor), <br />Jerry Pletrowski (Mound Marquette <br />Bank vice president), and Michael <br />Tegeder (Our Lady of the Lake <br />pastor). <br />Elected to two year terms were <br />Dale Woodheck (businessman), Craig <br />Anderson (Minnetrista and St. Boni <br />police chief). Tom G.'imble (business ­ <br />man), Val Hessburg (Westonka <br />Intervention coordinator), Irene <br />Jezorski (Meals-On-Wheels coordina ­ <br />tor). Morilyn Reger (Mt. Olive's Sodal <br />Action Committee), and Barb <br />Thomford (community leader). <br />Phyllis jessen (Mound C**y <br />Council member), Mary DeVir.ney <br />(Food Shelf coordinator), Jeanne <br />Gclinas (Westocka librarian), Mary <br />Hurley (Adult Basic Education <br />program manager), Val Magnus <br />(Pennywise Clothing coordinator), <br />Richard Schieffer (Johnson Sl Wood <br />attorney) and Bob Tomalka (retired <br />businessman) were elected to one-year <br />terms. <br />Volunteers make <br />it all possible! <br />Without volunteers WeCAN <br />rouldn't operate. We have <br />volunteers who answer <br />phones, interview clients, <br />raise funds, deliver Meals- <br />On- Wheels and much more. <br />If you are interested in <br />becoming a volunteer, call <br />WeCAN at 472-0742.