Virtual Fundraiser for Meals on Wheels

I’ve had the pleasure working with a Meals on Wheels chapter in Boulder County for the past five years to create story-based videos for their annual fundraising event. Late in 2019 their director moved on to another chapter of her life and was followed by a new director, Lark Rambo. I was looking forward to working with her but when Covid-19 hit they cancelled their fundraising event.

This spring they decided to bring it back – virtually. This has become a common pivot move for many nonprofits around Denver. Last year I created virtual fundraising events nonprofits such as the Action Center, Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, and The Denver VOICE.

Included in each of those virtual fundraisers was a story-based video like the kind I typically create. And I have created three such videos for Coal Creek Meals on Wheels before. They wanted another one this year to include in the overall presentation. Their goals were to show an overview of their services and how they have adapted to working during the global pandemic.

Our first challenge was finding a primary subject to base the story around. They wanted to stick close to their facility, which is based in a retirement community complex. The residents have confined themselves indoors for the past year out of caution and would not be available for shooting of scenes outside their residences. This was a significant limitation but one I was able to meet head on and work around.

We found a retired couple willing to allow us into their residence to shoot some scenes with them. I decided to use them as a bookend to the story. In the middle I brought in other people to show some of the key ways in which CCMOW has adapted during Covid-19. That included the chef, who slimmed down his staff and found ways to dramatically decrease his meal prep time, a volunteer and her daughter who were recruited to hand deliver meals to residents’ doorsteps, and another volunteer who started making wellness call check-ins.

I’m really pleased with how the final video turned out and the virtual fundraising event has been a success for CCMOW!