Looking for a meaningful camp experience for your 8- to 11-year-old child this summer? At VNA Meals on Wheels Kids Camp, each day is packed with opportunities to serve others, develop friendships and embrace new experiences. Our camp was specifically created to empower the next generation of volunteers and philanthropists!

Kids will learn about:

• The reality of senior hunger in our community
• The importance of good nutrition
• How to combat social isolation
• The gift of volunteerism

Camp dates:

• Tuesday, June 10 from 9:30 am-2:30 pm
• Tuesday, June 17 from 9:30 am-2:30 pm
• Tuesday, June 24 from 9:30 am-2:30 pm
• Tuesday, July 8 from 9:30 am-2:30 pm

What campers are saying:

“The most important thing I learned today was that even something seemingly small can make a big difference. Even just drawing someone a picture or giving them a meal and having a short conversation can make them feel less lonely and sad and let them know that they are seen.”

What parents are saying:

“Forget boring summer camps! My 9- and 11-year-olds just became superheroes at the coolest camp ever—the Meals on Wheels Kids Camp! It’s been a great way to give back to our community while they had a blast.  It’s a small-time commitment, but the impact we’ve made feels significant. I highly recommend the kids camp at Meals on Wheels. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!”

For more information and to register, visit www.vnatexas.org/kids-camp

We’re excited to invite you to a one-of-a-kind event with two true icons of Texas hospitality—Lisa and Tom Perini of Perini Ranch Steakhouse! On April 3rd, join us for an unforgettable lunch or dinner where tradition, flavor, and history come together. Lisa and Tom will be sharing their story and serving up some of the most delicious, mouthwatering dishes from their legendary chuck wagon—a true taste of West Texas.

Tables and single tickets for lunch or dinner are available now.  Single outdoor seating options, starting at $500, are also available.

Visit https://www.vnatexas.org/celebritychef/ for event information and to secure your spot today!

This March, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) is teaming up with the Dallas Galleria Mall for their Galleria Gives Spotlight!  Get ready to be part of something BIG as VNA showcases our work with a 12×30 foot window display on Level 1, right across from Sephora!

You’ll get the chance to learn about VNA’s adult and pediatric hospice programs, Meals on Wheels, and how YOU can make a difference through volunteering and donating. Did you know March is also the month we celebrate the historic “March for Meals”? It’s a special time to honor the national nutrition program for seniors brought about by the Older Americans Act.

But wait… there’s MORE! Check out these exciting events happening all month long:

Calling All Creatives! Make Cards & Spread Joy!

Here’s your chance to be a part of something HEARTWARMING! Come create colorful, one-of-a-kind handmade cards for our Meals on Wheels clients—homebound seniors who will LOVE the bright, beautiful notes you send their way.

No artistic experience required—just bring your imagination! We provide all the materials. These cards are delivered twice a week to make sure every senior feels special and remembered. Suitable for kids and adults.

When: Every Saturday in March (1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th)
Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: 3rd floor, near the Play Place

Move for Meals Mall Walk!

Get moving for VNA Meals on Wheels with a fun and energizing walk around the Galleria!  You’ll begin the morning with a group stretch, led by VNA Volunteer and yoga instructor, Mellissa Nguyen. Walkers will receive tips on health and nutrition along the way and enjoy a refreshing treat at the finish.

When: Friday, March 28th
Time: 8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Where: Level 1, across from Sephora

Join us on Wednesday, March 5th from noon – 1 p.m. for a Virtual Lunch and Learn, featuring Kelley F. Newcomer, MD, FAAHPM, VNA Medical Director of Adult and Pediatric Hospice, VNA Fellows Kate Raseman, MD and Andrea King, MD.  You’ll hear from VNA Medical Director, Dr. Newcomer, about her work leading the Hospice and Palliative Care Fellows program at VNA. These vital, immersive training programs provide fellows with experience working with physicians, nurses, and the interdisciplinary teams within the hospice (adult and pediatric) programs, and also make in-home patient visits. Fellows, Dr. Raseman and Dr. King, will share what they learned and how their experience will shape their future medical careers.

Register for the Zoom Webinar here.

We are concerned about the impact of interruptions or reductions in funding for programs that benefit the most vulnerable in our community. VNA relies partially on government funding and grants (including funding through the Older Americans Act) to deliver food and friendship to 5,200 homebound senior neighbors.  Additionally, our pediatric and adult hospice care programs, offered in 16 North Texas Counties, rely on Medicare and Medicaid payments as well as private insurance and community funds to care for seriously ill patients and provide vital support for family caregivers. Government funding plays a critical role in our ability to fulfill our mission to provide care to our community, enhancing health and well-being with compassion, dignity, and integrity.

Did you know that the Older Americans Act (OAA) is the primary piece of legislation supporting Meals on Wheels programs locally, in our state and nationwide, with the delivery of 251 million meals to 2.2 million seniors each year?  Yet, 2.5 million seniors in the USA with low income and food insecurity are currently not being served due to insufficient funding and resources.

A partnership of public funds through federal, state and local governments as well as support from community members like you, is what fuels our mission to feed the hungry, visit the isolated, and care for the seriously ill and grieving.  It truly does take a village to make our community thrive.

It is our sincere hope that vital community programs, like VNA, will be able to fully deliver the important programs that serve as a lifeline for so many of our neighbors. I encourage you to reach out to Congress to continue to protect and strengthen these proven and effective programs, like Meals on Wheels.

Reach out to your representatives to voice your support of Meals on Wheels programs in America by clicking here.

© VNATexas.org
1420 W. Mockingbird Ln., Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75247

Established in 1934, the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing care to our community, enhancing health and well-being with compassion, dignity and integrity. VNA is North Texas’ most trusted provider of quality health care services in the home and is the first, most experienced Hospice Care provider in Texas.  VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, Supportive Palliative Care, and adult and pediatric Hospice Care in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Henderson, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant, Van Zandt, and Wise Counties. Visit www.vnatexas.org or call 214-689-0000 for more information. 

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