Aging Well

VNA is excited to partner with Sonia Azad of WFAA to feature a week-long series focused on “Aging Well” to air the week of December 10.  Through touching and informative interviews with clinicians, attorneys, volunteers and clients, Sonia will highlight what it means to age well in North Texas as well as bring attention to the growing needs of our aging population.  Some of the topics to be featured include:

• Understanding hospice and palliative care

• Having “the talk” with loved ones about aging and end-of-life wishes

• Volunteering as a family value – serving alongside children and grandchildren

• What to ask when looking for senior housing and care

Our week of “Aging Well” on WFAA will end with a bang with a Party on the Plaza bright and early on December 14!  We need as many VNA supporters as possible to join us for the party at the WFAA Victory Park Studios.  We will have signs for you to hold up, serve coffee and donuts and host a live holiday gift wrapping project right there in the plaza. 

The party starts early at 4:45 am.  There will be live shots several times throughout the 5am & 6am newscasts. WFAA will also live stream a senior care panel discussion via Facebook Live during the broadcast.  Viewers will have the opportunity to ask our panel of experts questions about senior care, volunteering and other VNA services.  We hope you’ll join us bright and early to cheer on VNA and thank WFAA for raising awareness of senior needs in our community. Wear your VNA t-shirt if you have one and if you need one, email friends@vnatexas.org!  Click here for parking instructions. 

Not a morning person?  No problem, you can still help by getting social!  The event and a live panel discussion will be live streamed via Facebook Live.  Sonia Azad and WFAA also tweet and post on Instagram.  VNA will be posting and sharing throughout the morning.  You can help us out by sharing, commenting and liking posts and videos. 

Follow our social links:
https://www.facebook.com/vnatexas
https://twitter.com/VNATexas
https://www.instagram.com/vnatexas/

Thanks so much and we look forward to seeing you on the plaza!

Save a seat at your holiday table!

VNA Meals on Wheels delivers food and friendship to hungry seniors year-round. But during the holidays, many will sit at their tables alone. For more than 30 years, VNA has delivered special holiday cheer and a festive holiday meal to our vulnerable senior neighbors on Christmas Day. Along with their festive holiday meal, Meals on Wheels clients will also receive a special gift bag generously donated and wrapped by volunteers.

Will you make the holiday bright for hungry seniors this year by giving or volunteering?   Thanks to an anonymous donor, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar! That’s right, you can double your impact!

Click here to learn more about our clients, donate or sign up to volunteer.

Wrapping up some love!

VNA saw a great turnout for our Subaru “Share the Love” Holiday Gift Wrap party on Tuesday, December 4. Dozens of volunteers specially wrapped and assembled toiletry items for delivery to our Meals on Wheels clients on Christmas morning. For many clients, they are alone on the holiday and don’t have any presents to open. The Holiday Gift Bag program gives clients a gift prepared with love for the special holiday.  The gift bags include shampoo, lotion, a toothbrush and toothpaste, Kleenex, soap, a washcloth, and a pair of socks. VNA’s goal is to assemble nearly 5,000 bags for our Meals on Wheels clients and Hospice patients and these special elves made it happen! We’re so grateful for all the help wrapping up the love for our clients and patients! For more information about the Subaru Share the Love event and how they support Meals on Wheels America, please visit https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/.

A Message From Katherine - Making Spirits Bright

As we approach the holidays, I am reminded of all the wonderful ways you, our dedicated volunteers and donors, make spirits bright for VNA and our community.  Through your generosity to VNA, you touch the lives of so many in our community and I am grateful to work alongside you to help seniors in North Texans age well.

I encourage you to join me in taking time this season to reflect on the impact you have made this year through your support of VNA and throughout our community. Your involvement makes a difference in the lives of those who you may not even know and we are grateful. I also ask you to consider how you can continue to deliver joy this season—whether it is volunteering with your family to deliver Meals on Wheels, reaching out to a neighbor in need, or continuing to deliver small kindnesses during the hustle and bustle of the season.

Here at VNA, we aim to make spirits a little brighter for families who are struggling with the serious illness of a loved one.  Our Murchison patient fund is one way we can deliver some joy to young families with a parent or caregiver on our hospice service by helping them purchase gifts, arrange for loved ones to visit or providing a holiday meal.  If you or your church/community group feel called to help us out, email friends@vnatexas.org to learn more.

Also, if you haven’t already had the opportunity to check out our new Meals on Wheels volunteer portal, I encourage you to dive in and share with friends! If you are already a volunteer, you can invite a friend to ride along with you on a delivery.  Click here to check it out: https://volunteer.vnatexas.org/landing.

You make VNA and our community bright! I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season.

Warmest wishes,
Katherine