Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley will expand care to people in need, says CEO

 

(BETHLEHEM) – Meals on Wheels organizations in Lehigh and Northampton counties have officially merged to become Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

CEO Vicki Coyle made the announcement today at a special event held at Meals on Wheels’ Bethlehem facility that was attended by donors, volunteers, Board members, partner agencies, staff and more. In addition to announcing the merger, Coyle also unveiled the organization’s new logo and new Web site, www.mowglv.org, both of which were designed by Bethlehem-based Imagevolution.

“The Boards of Directors, staff, and volunteers of both pre-merger organizations are to be commended for their intense work, patience, and faith in this process,” she said. “They were able to focus on exploring many difficult operational issues thanks to the financial support of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s Synergy Fund and partnership with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Agency mergers are stressful, yet everyone here pulled it off by keeping their eyes on the prize which was to maintain quality services for our clients.”

Also speaking at the event was Bob Makos of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, whose Synergy Fund grant helped to finance the merger; State Rep. Steve Samuelson; and longtime volunteers Betty Duffy and Lana Anyder who are mother and daughter.

 

The merger, which became official on Aug. 22, is the culmination of more than two years of planning and three phases for discussion and implementation. In the fall of 2016, the Boards from both Meals on Wheels organizations began meeting to explore the possibility of a merger. A synergy grant from the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley fueled this process, and a consultant from the Catalyst Center for Nonprofit Management was brought on to help facilitate merger discussions.

 

Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley will continue to operate from its Bethlehem office, where more than 462,000 meals are made each year in its commercial kitchen, and its Allentown office. The mission of the organization remains the same as its predecessors – that is, to provide homebound seniors and adults with disabilities with freshly prepared nutritious meals, wellness checks and social visits so that clients can eat well, avoid isolation and remain living independently for as long as they can.

 

 

Information and images provided by:
Tom Harper
Director of Development
Meals On Wheels of The Greater Lehigh Valley
4240 Fritch Drive, Bethlehem PA 18020
www.mowglv.org

 

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