Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County clients to receive meals from local dignitaries March 20th

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Media Contact: Sharon Smith, APR

Maverick Public Relations

ssmith@maverickpublicrelations.com / 317.506.7982

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY – Please contact Sharon Smith to arrange for a photographer to accompany a driver/local dignitary on a delivery route on March 20^th (Mayors for Meals Day)  

Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County

March for Meals campaign

Local dignitaries to participate in

Mayors for Meals Day

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. (March 2013) –Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County will be among the many senior nutrition programs across the United States promoting “March for Meals/Mayors for Meals” in their communities.

March for Meals/Mayors for Meals is an annual campaign of the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) designed to raise awareness of senior hunger, nutrition issues, and to encourage action at the local level. Mayors for Meals Day is an integral part of the annual March for Meals campaign. This year, on Wednesday, March 20, mayors and other local officials will show their support for Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County by delivering meals to senior clients and homebound residents.

Hamilton County dignitaries participating in this year’s Mayors for Meals day include:

John Ditslear, Mayor of Noblesville

Jim Brainard, Mayor of Carmel

Jim Ake, Westfield City Council President

John Weingardt, Fishers Town Council

Jerry Cook, Cicero Town Council President

John “Abe” Evans, Atlanta Town Council Member

Bill Cook, Arcadia Town Council President

Glen Bougher, Sheridan Town Council Member

“As recognizable and strong voices in the community, their participation in delivering meals helps gain much-needed visibility of senior hunger issues, donations, and awareness of our services and volunteer opportunities,” says Beth Gehlhausen, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County. “We are truly thankful for the support of these community leaders.”

How to get involved:

In an effort to raise awareness and gain new clients and volunteers, Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County has launched new branding in 2013 with a fresh logo, website and social media (Facebook andTwitter @HCmealsonwheels). Enroll, volunteer or donate today by visiting www.mealsonwheelshc.org. Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides meal delivery to elderly, disabled and homebound residents, regardless of age or income, reducing hunger, improving health and promoting independence. Unfortunately, not all of our clients have the resources to pay for their meals. Your generous support helps subsidize the cost of a nutritious meal and provide a friendly helping hand. Donations of any amount can be made online through our website and will instantly generate a tax-deductible receipt: http://www.mealsonwheelshc.org/donate/. Individuals, friends, families and local businesses have the opportunity to donate contributions through our Sponsor-A-Senior program and/or lend a helping hand to Adopt-A-Route delivering meals in a geographic area within your community.

Getting home-delivered meals is simple and easy. To apply, call us at (317) 776-7159 or submit an online application form athttp://www.mealsonwheelshc.org/services/#enrollment-for-services. What began as a community service project that delivered one meal to one person, Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County now serves 190+ clients on 17 routes, daily. Volunteers compassionately deliver more than 55,000 meals each year to clients in all eight communities of Hamilton County.

New Year, New Postal Rates

Direct mail is a powerful medium. A personalized mailer connected with a PURL speaks directly to your customer and drives strong response rates. Even with the new postal rates and regulations effective in January 2013, direct mail remains a flexible and inexpensive way to physically place your message in your customers’ hands.

Mailer for Stonycreek Farm Nursery & Landscaping (front)

Mailer for Stonycreek Farm Nursery & Landscaping (back)

Key changes may affect your direct mail campaigns.

• The single-piece postcard rate, which already increased by 3¢ in January 2012, will increase by an additional penny to 33¢.
• Automation discounts will be limited to letters, flats, postcards, Business Reply Mail and Permit Reply Mail with the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb). The new barcode holds all routing, sorting and additional services in one place, freeing up valuable space on your envelope for your marketing message. Automated address correction will ensure that your material reaches the right recipient at the right time, improving response rates and increasing revenue.
• Self-mailers are subject to new requirements for size, paper weight, folding and tabbing. Failure to comply will result in a significant postage increase.

There are several steps you can take to control the impact of the postal changes.

• Merge and purge your mailing lists to ensure clean data. Target customers who will buy.
• Review your existing stock of printed materials for compliance with new regulations before your next mailing to avoid any surprises when you receive your postage bill.
• Reduce the size and/or weight of your direct mail package. For example, instead of mailing an 8 x 11″ piece at the “flats” rate, fold the piece to 5½ x 8½” to qualify for the lower letter rate.
• Creatively embrace the changes. Develop a multi-touch strategy by using the tracking function in the new IMb to trigger email blasts. Modify and test different formats that comply with the new regulations.
• Review the calendar of promotional events at www.usps.com to learn how you can save on postage throughout 2013 by integrating mail with mobile and emerging technologies.

If you have questions about how the new rates and regulations will impact your business, call or email us today. We can help you design your mail piece, choose the correct paper stock, and prepare your mailing to meet the revised standards and secure the lowest postage rates available.

Click here to view a comprehensive list of the new USPS rates. Additionally, click here for a PDF guide for the new folded self-mailer regulations.