My second week at LifeCare Alliance was all about building my understanding of the Meals-on-Wheels (MOW) program, the incredible people behind it, and the systems that keep it running. I began the week by joining our Advancement team huddle, where each member shared updates and something they were looking forward to. It’s a small but meaningful tradition that creates the culture of positivity and connection here.

Throughout the week, I continued my onboarding meetings with members of the Advancement and Nutrition Operations teams, learning from Brea, Stephanie, Wesley, Claire, Leah, Beth, and Anne about their responsibilities and how their work intersects with the volunteer and client experience. These conversations were filled with information, from donor engagement strategies to managing in-kind donations, and from program grants to building corporate volunteer partnerships.

As I prepare to begin interviews for the Customer Journey project, I’ve been reviewing volunteer communication materials including training videos, the ServeTracker system, outreach emails, FAQs, and even the “Failure to Deliver” online form. All of these have helped me to better understand what volunteers currently experience. I also analyzed survey data from a Volunteer Engagement Survey to identify recurring concerns and ideas for improvement.

From a marketing perspective, I’ve started to see how branding, storytelling, and relationship-building play into every aspect of LifeCare Alliance’s work. Conversations with Brea and Beth helped me understand event marketing and the collaboration behind the agency’s annual report, while Stephanie shared insights on building long-term connections with volunteer groups and corporate partners.

My own ideas are beginning to take shape. I’ve been brainstorming ways to improve communication with volunteers and build community such as moving from paper-based systems to a more interactive app or website for route updates and real-time delivery notes. A volunteer portal could track individual service milestones, triggering automatic thank-you messages and recognizing “bronze,” “silver,” “gold,” or even “diamond” level volunteers based on their frequency of service. Even small gestures like branded handouts or business cards for volunteers to share could make a big impact.

Each day I spend here reinforces just how powerful thoughtful, mission-driven communication can be.

See you next week!

Kat Jolley