Miko Junior Logistics Analyst
Named to Meals on Wheels of Norman Board of Directors List
(Wednesday, March 24, 2010)
Meals on Wheels of Norman (MOW), a United Way of Norman Agency, has announced the newest addition to its 2010 Board of Directors. Kim Velie,
a Junior Logistics Analyst and two-year Meals on Wheels volunteer from Miko Group, Inc., has been named a Board of Directors Member At Large
for 2010. She joins 25 other dedicated Board volunteers and staff sharing a goal to provide assistance and support to the community’s elderly,
disabled and ill population.
Velie first began her involvement with Meals on Wheels in December 2008 after intensive time spent caring for her mother provided the inspiration
to join the cause and continue providing care for others. Beginning with MOW’s Annual Poinsettia Drive during which she delivered the plants to
residents throughout the community and pushed to get her coworkers involved, she soon became a regular driver delivering meals and smiles to weekly
clients throughout the rest of the year.
Expanding her focus to help bring about Miko’s financial support and sponsorship of a designated route, Kim continues to strengthen the bond between
company and community not only as a volunteer but by presenting philanthropic opportunities for others to carry on the legacy she began with her mother.
“I believe giving dedicated time to others that need someone to spend a little time with them is also a gift to me, my daughter, my family … and for my soul.
I am reminded that everyone is facing a challenge and when I spend my time helping others it has a ripple effect,” says Velie. “Knowing you’ve helped someone
overcome an obstacle gives strength to conquer your own. That is a life lesson I can’t stand up and teach anyone, but I can be proof of what happens when you
give yourself to help others.”
As a new board member, Kim has taken on additional responsibilities as a Training Wheel for the MOW Big Wheel campaign as well as serving on MOW’s Swing into
Action and Drive out Hunger Golf Scramble Planning Committee.
“I’m excited about the new opportunities this board position opens up for me to influence others and get more people involved with the community’s ‘Golden Generation’”,
says Kim.
One way she’s already spreading the word is through her daughter Gabbey. The Norman High School JV cheerleader and her squad have chosen the Meals on Wheels Golf Scramble
as their first community involvement activity. The squad will be volunteering at the event to greet participating golfers, hand out goody bags, and assist other MOW staff.
Meals on Wheels of Norman has been providing nutritious, noontime meals to the ill, elderly and disabled since its inception in 1972. The benefits the service provides
include more than just lunchtime visitation however. To Kim Velie, it provides for close-knit relationships and something to look forward to every week.
“The people I am privileged to see once a week means so much. The visits are a placeholder in the middle of the work week that forces me to focus on other people’s lives.
For that hour and a half I clear my mind, put a smile on and do my best to make each person I see feel cared about. Next thing you know, I’m headed back to the office feeling
more balanced and energized to face the rest of the week. The change in perspective is the most prominent benefit I can expect to bring back each week,” says Velie.
“No matter the stresses I may be under when I start delivering lunch, before I am halfway finished I feel a change in my mood because I feel good about being needed & appreciated –
its instant gratification. That’s reflected in my work life and at home with my daughter,” she adds.
Providing the support to balance work and volunteer tasks, Kim Velie credits Miko’s president and staff for allowing her the time to focus on supporting these efforts.
“I am so fortunate to work for a company that believes in the power of service in our community. Thanks to our president, Mark Morton for supporting Meals on Wheels and for encouraging
the work Miko employees do in the Norman community.”
Extending beyond other company philanthropic efforts to include its national Autism and Alzheimer’s Association affiliations and involvement, Miko Group is proud to recognize Kim Velie’s
accomplishments as a Meals on Wheels of Norman volunteer and Board of Directors member. The positive impact she has on the community she serves, the families involved, and her fellow
Miko members is far-reaching as she hopes to inspire others to follow her lead.
For more information about Meals on Wheels of Norman call (405) 321-7272, e-mail info@mealsonwheelsnorman.com, or visit www.mealsonwheelsnorman.com.
Miko Continues Meals
On Wheels of Norman
Support with 2010 Adopt a Route Sponsorship
(Monday, March 15, 2010)
Building upon its commitment to help care for and assist elderly, disabled and ill residents in the local community, Miko Group, Inc. has teamed with Meals
On Wheels (MOW) of Norman to adopt a
designated delivery route which will provide lunches and care packages to those in need. The 2010 Adopt A Route campaign serves to improve nutrition by providing meal service to an often forgotten
segment of the population while also improving the mental health of isolated recipients by providing visitation and improving upon overall well-being.
Led by newly appointed Meals On Wheels of Norman Board of Directors volunteer and Miko member Kim Velie, the Miko-sponsored Route was officially designated March 1, 2010 and continues to grow a
long-standing partnership with the 40-year-old United Way agency. The Miko route is maintained and run each day of the week by a team of Meals on Wheels volunteers including Velie, who is the scheduled
driver each Wednesday when she delivers to an average of 15-16 residents in nursing homes, hospitals and other residences throughout the community.
“Delivering lunch for Meals On Wheels of Norman has played a large role in my personal journey to find my place in this community. A place where I can feel confident I am making a difference,” says Velie.
A client survey conducted by Meals On Wheels (from MOW-issued 2010 Adopt A Route Flyer) reveals over 92% of meal recipients say they are less isolated since receiving services while 95% say the deliveries
allow them to live more independently while feeling safer as a result of the visitation. Another 85% of MOW clients also responded by saying they consider the volunteer drivers as friends.
“I believe it’s important for these residents to not only have access to meals but to also see a friendly face on which they can rely. That extra chat can really brighten up a day and make all the difference
in the world,” adds Miko member Whitney Bryant.
According to Meals On Wheels of Norman compiled statistics (information courtesy of David Joplin, Adopt A Route Chair, MOW of Norman Board of Directors), 11.4% (five million) American seniors are facing the
threat of hunger and by the year 2025, 75% more seniors in the U.S. will experience some form of food insecurity and 33% will suffer hunger. An additional effect of being unable to acquire or prepare meals is
that many individuals end up sacrificing food in order to purchase needed medications instead.
Kim Velie believes continued awareness and interest for MOW is the responsibility of those involved to impact others by sharing their experiences of helping others at a disadvantage. With the ongoing need for
care, Miko hopes other businesses and individuals will be inspired to express their compassion for Norman’s senior and disabled population and join the Adopt A Route Program as well.
Miko’s chosen Adopt A Route campaign motto is aimed at embodying the spirit of giving to the community while honoring those they share it with:
“Delivering trust, integrity, and community to one home at a time”
For more information about Meals on Wheels of Norman or to sign up for a delivery route, call (405) 321-7272, e-mail info@mealsonwheelsnorman.com, or visit www.mealsonwheelsnorman.com.
Miko Group, Inc. Among First to Participate in
OG&E Positive Energy ® Smart Grid Program Studies; Environmental Responsibility, Energy Efficiency and Cost Controls among Key Areas of Focus
(Thursday, April 8, 2010)
Continuing its dedication to pursuing “green friendly” ways of doing business, Norman-based project management firm Miko Group, Inc. will be one
of the first to participate in a summer-long energy usage study which could provide future funding and support for a more reliable, environmentally-responsible power grid across
the region.
An estimated 3,000 Norman area homes and businesses will participate in the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company’s (OG&E) study to help monitor, report, and improve energy usage and patterns
via newly installed “smart” meters, communicating programmable thermostats, touch screen information panels and secure Internet portals. In all, some 42,000 smart meters will be installed
for the Norman area study. The information gathered will assist OG&E as it seeks future funding to provide updated infrastructure technology to the remainder of its 30,000 square-mile service
territory over the next three-five years. A similar initial study was conducted among customers in northwest Oklahoma City in 2008 with 6,600 smart meters installed during that phase.
The Norman study is the second step in Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company’s (OG&E) plans to further test components of its new Positive Energy ® Smart Grid System, an investment aimed at updating
the aging preexisting infrastructure. The new format, acting like an “Energy Internet”, will feature two-way communication, multi-directional power flow, and closed-loop automation at its core
via automation software and intelligent electronic hardware systems.
OG&E says the infrastructure overhaul will be integral in 1) enabling the integration and optimization of more renewable energy, 2) driving measurable increases in the efficiency and reliability
of the network, and 3) empowering consumers to better manage their energy usage and save money without compromising their lifestyle. OG&E expects the new system and related studies to provide up
280,000 higher-paying “green job” opportunities throughout the region by improving upon oil independence and renewable energy supplies and advancing aims to greatly reduce our energy consumption
impact on the environment. Related research indicates that carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 25% in America if such smart grid technologies continue to be implemented. If such a system
allows energy production to be even 5% more efficient, energy savings would equate to permanently eliminating the fuel and greenhouse gas emissions from 53 million cars.
Miko is proud to continue its commitment of seeking environmentally responsible ways of serving its customers and hopes involvement in the Smart Grid study will lend itself to other future opportunities
to do so. For additional information or to sign up for the Norman study, visit www.OGE.com/smartstudytogether or call OG&E at 877-898-3834.