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Meals on Wheels, Bluffton-Hilton Head Executive Director: Executive Director has overall responsibility for Meals on Wheels, Bluffton-Hilton Head’ day-to-day operations, staff, volunteers, programs, and execution of its mission as defined by the Board of Directors. The position is responsible for communicating effectively with the Board and providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board to function properly and to make informed decisions. The Executive Director reports to the Board Chair. Skills required, but not limited to, include, managing fiscal reports, social media, volunteers, fundraising, public speaking, special events, community relations, donor relations, time management, and organizational skills. Must have knowledge of QuickBooks, Microsoft, and customer management tools. Full-time position based on Hilton Head Island. For consideration, please send a cover letter and resume to execdirector@mowblufftonhiltonhead.org by August 30. No phone calls please.

Waitlist for Meals Started on Monday, June 24

The board of directors of Meals on Wheels, Bluffton-Hilton Head announces that a waitlist for new clients was launched on Monday, June 24. This action is the result of unexpected growth to date in 2024 that far surpasses current funding.

"Our local Meals on Wheels relies 100% on grants and individual donations to support our meal program," explained Lili Coleman, executive director. "We need greater resources to sustain and grow services in the face of the rising aging population. The fact is that 12,000 Americans turn 60 every day and one in three Meals on Wheels programs across the United States have a wait list."

According to the 2022-2023 Benchmarks and Insights Executive Summary from MOW America released May 2024, nearly 99 percent of the members reported one or more challenges to serving meals to all seniors in their community who need them. Those challenges include food prices, funding, and recruiting and retaining volunteers. To meet these needs, local MOWs are identifying other community resources and partnerships to help fund the cost of meals, tapping into reserves to cover increased costs and adding seniors to waitlists.

"We are also creating a guide to determine eligibility for meals," said Joe Scalzo, chair of MOW Bluffton-Hilton Head. We want to be consistent when determining where a client is placed on the waiting list, and we are following best practices from other Meals on Wheels chapters across the country." Scalzo did state that emergency situations will be given immediate consideration.

Meals on Wheels, Bluffton-Hilton Head's staff and volunteers have been serving the local community since 1979 and this is the first and only time a wait list has been initiated. MOW does not receive any state or federal funding for the local meal program and the current monthly meal costs exceed $30,000. This reflects a +200 percent growth rate in the past two years.

For more information about the program, please contact the executive director at 843-802-0919 or email execdirector@mowblufftonhiltonhead.org.

Meals on Wheels, Bluffton-Hilton Head is a member of Meals on Wheels, America and a United Way agency.