Akron, OH (September 1, 2023) –Meals On Wheels of Northeast Ohio, a program of VANTAGE Aging, is celebrating 50 years of serving our community, and to mark the occasion, community members are encouraged to support a raffle with great prizes that also supports the community.
Established in 1973, Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties began as a senior meal program called The Stark Nutrition Program that grew to serve more than 13 million meals prepared and delivered to clients by thousands of community volunteers. In 1984, Meals on Wheels of Northern Ohio was formed, originally serving a hot lunch daily. Eventually, the program grew from serving 5,000 meals a year to delivering over 300,000 frozen meals to over 2,500 homebound clients a year. January 1, 2019, Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and VANTAGE Meals on Wheels of Northern Ohio merged to form Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio, which hand makes and delivers meals with love and nutrition for seniors facing hunger. Each year, delivery of nearly 600,000 meals to the homes of seniors and disabled residents while another 48,000 congregate meals are provided.
Raffle Offers Prizes, Helps Feed More Seniors
This September, Meals On Wheels NEO will host its third annual, month-long Helping Hands raffle fundraiser to support the nutritional needs of seniors in Stark, Summit, Wayne, Carroll, Portage, Holmes, and Tuscarawas Counties. Community members and businesses can participate in the Helping Hands campaign and help feed seniors by purchasing raffle tickets or sponsoring the event.
To be a part of supporting this program, Raffle tickets are for sale online at
www.vantageaging.org/helpinghands or by contacting Meals On Wheels at 330-253-4597 or info@vantageaging.org.
Raffle tickets are $10 or three for $25.
Prizes include:
• 12 Bottles of wine
• Good Park Golf Course passes and golf balls (value $400)
• Family fun basket and $100 Buehler’s gift card
• Entertainment Basket, including tickets and gift cards to the Football Hall of Fame, Gervasi Vineyards, Akron Symphony, and Weathervane Playhouse, Akron
• Sunny daze 30-inch Fire Pit Bowl with Spark Screen, Fireplace Poker, and Metal Grate (value $150) and
• Home Basket by University Hospital Portage Medical Center
Raffle winners will be drawn each Thursday in September and BONUS Tuesday, September 19, on Facebook Live at @VantageAging.
Sponsorships for the Helping Hands campaign are available online at: www.vantageaging.org/helpinghands-sponsorship/. Or, sponsor the event by contacting Meals On Wheels at 330-253-4597 or info@vantageaging.org.
“We are committed to supporting seniors to live healthier and more nourished lives in their homes in Northeast Ohio,” said Jay Varnes, Director of Meals On Wheels NEO. “We are excited to host our third Helping Hands raffle and celebrate 50 years of serving our community’s seniors. We hope the community is just as excited to get involved, win great prizes, and help those community members who need us most.”
Meals On Wheels of Northeast Ohio would like to thank the Helping Hands Raffle sponsors, which include: Weekly Presenting Sponsor: MCTV; Neighbor Sponsors: PNC Bank, Kim Ray, Young Truck Sales, Midwest Industries, SARTA, and Schauer Group; Foodie Sponsors: Community One Credit Union, Direction Home Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities, Ron & Jane Sibila, Diehl Automotive Group, IBEW Local Union 540, Golden Gourmet, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro’s Department of Jobs and Family Services, Aultman Health Foundation and AultCare, Massillon Aerie No. 190 F.O.E., and Home Appliance.
For more information, contact Lisa Mansfield at 330-253-4597 ext. 160.
