$50,000 raised, $100,000 distributed to Meals on Wheels
A $50,000 fundraising goal was met, and $100,000 total went to the Opportunities for Williamson & Burnet Counties Meals on Wheels program based out of Madella Hillard Senior Center in Georgetown.
The center provides hot, nutritious noontime meals to home-bound seniors weekdays and offers in-person meals for those seniors able to come to the center. Approximately 500 area seniors are served each day. Close to one hundred are Sun City residents.
The huge fundraiser was put in motion by Sun City’s Woman Helping Others organization. Mollie Hoff and Nina Stancil started the charitable group in 2009 under a different name, but in 2011, they rebranded to WHO and adopted the owl as their symbol.
That small beginning evolved to an impactful force more than 300 volunteers strong. WHO collectively makes a big impact on community-based organizations, strengthening quality of life through donations of time, service and financial assistance.
In 2012, Ms. Stancil read in the Williamson County Sun about a waiting list for the local Meals on Wheels.
“So you can either have fewer people and have a wait list, or you can go fundraise. We decided to start to fundraise so they didn’t have a waiting list,” Ms. Stancil recalled.
WHO raised $6,000 dollars for Meals on Wheels that year.
“Meals on Wheels never had a wait list since,” Ms Stancil said with pride. “We kept that relationship with them and it just grew.”
WHO partners with Saint David’s Foundation for the Opportunities for Williamson & Burnet Counties Meals on Wheels fundraising. The Central Texas philanthropic organization challenged WHO to raise $50,0000 this year. At that level, donations would be matched by the foundation.
The fundraiser culminated October 7 at Mulligan’s Restaurant in Sun City. Owner Nels Johnson, a longtime and generous supporter of WHO causes, dedicated the restaurant patio to this final push. The first 25 of 50-plus earned a $10 Mulligan’s gift card and every meal purchased came with a delicious free peach cobbler.
The band Flashback played on the patio. Attendees donned their hippest 1970s attire and danced to timeless rock music. Meals on Wheels financial folk worked the gathering for donations.
“We are third party fundraisers,” club Ms Stancil explained. “We do most of the work but we don’t touch the money.”
Williamson County Commissioner Terry Cook was present. The Commissioners Court proclaimed January 28, as Women Helping Others (WHO) Ladies of Sun City Day in recognition of their philanthropic work raising over $1.2 million since their inception.
WHO has never failed to reach the annual lofty goal set by Saint David’s for matching funds. The restaurant fundraiser night ended in celebration of once again surpassing that amount. The money combats senior malnutrition, enables people to age in place and reduces social isolation.
The mission of WHO is to support existing charitable organizations with time, donations, and assistance while fostering camaraderie, fellowship, and inclusion. To donate to the Meals On Wheels fundraiser go to OWBC-TX.org and select Events/WHO Ladies Fundraiser.
Linda Dwyer has lived in Williamson County and written for the Williamson County Sun since 2014. Her columns focus on food related topics, theater productions and local points of interest. She can be reached at dwyer@wilcosun.com.