Press release from Meals on Wheels:
Skyland Allstate spearheads blanket drive for Meals on Wheels; Campaign Kick Off Sept. 23, 2 p.m.
Meals on Wheels of Asheville-Buncombe County is asking for your help to keep area seniors warm this winter.
The non-profit will conduct a blanket campaign Sept. 23-Oct. 14 to collect new, wrapped blankets that will be distributed to clients of the agency’s home-delivered meal program. The three-week campaign begins with a kick-off event at Skyland Allstate and Skyland Automotive at 2 p.m., Sept. 23.
“Daily volunteer contact and providing meals to the county’s shut-in elderly is very important,” said Dianne Trammel, executive director of MOW-ABC. “Now, through this campaign, we will not only provide warm food for our clients but will also help ward off the chill of winter.”
Studies reveal that by 2030, more than half of Buncombe County’s population will be age 65 or older. Many of those persons will live alone, possibly suffer from a disability and require assistance from agencies like Meals on Wheels, as well as the community. A warm blanket is an easy way to conserve body heat and allows thermostats to be set a little lower – saving energy costs.
“This is an important community outreach project for Skyland Allstate,” said Ashley Summerrow, agency manager. “Being ‘In Good Hands’ is more than our corporate slogan – it’s a role that we take seriously. Spearheading a project to provide blankets to area elderly is a meaningful way we can help give back to the community.”
Skyland Allstate, headquartered inside Skyland Automotive, has also partnered with West Asheville’s Odd’s Café to join the campaign. Café owner Audrie Blomquist will host a collection station for blankets at the café, 800 Haywood Road.
In addition to Odd’s Café, other collection bins will be located at:
- Skyland Automotive/Skyland Allstate, 255 Smoky Park Highway
- Meals on Wheels, 146 Victoria Road
- Webb Insurance, 216 Asheland Ave.
- About Meals on Wheel of Asheville/Buncombe County.
MOW-ABC operates Monday-Friday with an 11-member staff and a network of more than 300 volunteers. Meal delivery is available to Buncombe County seniors age 60 and older who are homebound, without regard to race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap or ability to pay. Meals On Wheels of Asheville-Buncombe County provides hot, nutritious meals to the elderly homebound, thus allowing them to live in their own homes, among familiar surroundings and maintain their dignity while aging.
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