Share the Love Meals on Wheels Campaign Kicks Off In Lyme

Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. - Regional Senior Center

Serving Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme,

Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook

220 Main Street

Old Saybrook, CT 06475

860-388-1611

Date: November 23, 2012

Subject:  Press Release 

The Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. Partners with Reynolds Subaru of Lyme, CT to “Share the Love” this Holiday Season.  Subaru’s “Share the Love” event helps deliver nutritious meals and compassion to Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Old Lyme, Lyme, Killingworth, Madison, Essex, Deep River, Clinton and Chester’s seniors.

The Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. is proud to announce it has partnered with Reynolds Subaru of Lyme this holiday season to deliver meals to seniors in all ten towns and to provide awareness of the funding needs for senior nutrition. Since June 2010, The Estuary’s senior nutrition budget has been cut $102,000. Last year the Estuary provided 60,000 meals to seniors in the ten town area. The “Share the Love” campaign kicked off on November 21st with the three generations of the Reynolds family participating. Hayden Reynolds, his daughter, Lilly and his father, Gary; three generations of the Reynolds family, personally delivered meals in Lyme. Reynolds Subaru has loaned The Estuary a Subaru car for daily meal delivery throughout the six-week campaign. The Reynolds family has been serving the shoreline for over 150 years, they started back in 1859 with horse drawn carriages, today the 6th generation of the Reynolds provides his community with Subaru's for a safe and reliable all wheel drive vehicle.

Each week thereafter through the holidays Reynolds Sales, Parts and Service staff as well as local Rotary Clubs and the First Selectmen of our ten towns will also visit seniors delivering meals. Local Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops from the shoreline towns are making holiday cards which they will deliver to each senior along with their meal and a Christmas plant the week before Christmas. Christmas plants are being donated by Clinton Nurseries and Grove Gardens of Clinton, Riggio’s of Essex, VanWilgens of North Branford and the Old Saybrook Walmart store. This local effort is part of the Meals on Wheels Association of America’s (MOWAA) participation in the national Subaru of America, Inc. “Share the Love” Event.

As one of the five Subaru “Share the Love” event charitable partners, the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is awarding $200,000 in “Share the Love” grants to local Meals on Wheels programs that partner with Subaru dealerships in the fight to end senior hunger. The Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. is eligible to win a MOWAA-Subaru “Share the Love” grant of up to $35,000 to help provide hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors in all ten towns it serves. Hayden Reynolds is spearheading a “matching funds competition” and hopes that many other local businesses will join him. If you are interested in providing matching funds or providing a partial match to the grant they hope will be awarded to The Estuary Council of Seniors please contact Sandy at 860 388-1611.

"We are honored to be part of ‘Share the Love’ for a fifth straight year," said MOWAA Interim CEO, Larry J. Tomayko. "Subaru recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities it serves. Working together, MOWAA and Subaru are helping to provide more than just a meal; we’re bringing warmth and compassion to so many hungry and homebound seniors who would otherwise go without.” The Subaru “Share the Love” Event runs from November 21, 2012 to January 2, 2013. Subaru is donating $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased during “Share the Love” to the customer's choice of one of five charities, including MOWAA’s Meals on Wheels. Over the past four years, proceeds from the Subaru “Share the Love” Event have provided funds to MOWAA to support its vision to end senior hunger by 2020.

The Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the only national organization and network dedicated solely to ending senior hunger in America. MOWAA is the oldest and largest organization composed of and representing local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 states as well as the U.S. territories. MOWAA’s vision is to end senior hunger by 2020. To obtain more information about MOWAA or to locate a local Meals on Wheels program, visit the MOWAA website at www.mowaa.org.

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Picture # 23

Hayden Reynolds, his daughter, Lilly and his father, Gary; three generations of the Reynolds family, personally delivered Meals on Wheels in Lyme.