Thank You for Marching!

VNA is so grateful to everyone who participated in the 2020 March for Meals! From the state and local leadership who delivered to their constituents, to the restaurants who partnered with VNA to provide proceeds and the volunteers who delivered extra routes—THANK YOU! Your support has helped feed more hungry seniors in need and created awareness about senior hunger in our community. Thank you for Marching with VNA Meals on Wheels!  

Carroll ISD
Celebration Senior Care
City of Irving Mayor Stopfer
Dallas City Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn
Empire Baking Company
Energy Transfer Partners
Marsalis Ave. Church of Christ
National Charity League (NCL)
Panda Express
Paychex
Texas House Representative Carl Sherman
Texas House Representative Morgan Meyer
Texas House Representative Toni Rose
Texas Instruments
University of North Texas at Dallas
Wolters Kluwar
YMSL DalRich

Celebrity Chef’s 10th Anniversary Event Raises Record Breaking $660,000

The  Celebrity Chef’s 10th Anniversary event, chaired by VNA board members Betsy Eiseman and Karen Pollock, was held on March 4, 2020. The sold-out luncheon and dinner featured James Beard award winning cookbook authors and food journalists-and brothers- Matt Lee and Ted Lee. Keeping it all in the family, their parents, Liza and Will Lee, served as  Honorary Chairmen of the event. We are grateful for our lead sponsors, Lyda Hill and Trio, and also our many generous sponsors.

Richard and Betsy Eiseman and Karen and Richard Pollock

Liza and Will Lee, Katherine Krause and Carolyn Rathjen

Ted Lee, Sonia Azad, Matt Lee

Emceed by WFAA’s Health and Wellness reporter Sonia Azad, guests enjoyed lively banter and a live professional cooking demonstration of Matt and Ted’s famed Henry’s Cheese Spread. The meal consisted of select recipes from The Lee Bros. library of cookbooks, including Charleston Kitchen, Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor. 

Our deep gratitude goes to Betsy and Richard Eiseman and Karen and Richard Pollock for their unwavering support of VNA. 

A special thank you to the Celebrity Chef Host Committee: 

Lydia and Bill Addy; Carrie and Steven Becker; Mary Frances and Tim Bellman; Ann and Doug Brown; Lisa and Chuck Brown; Becky and Mike Casey; Nita and Cullum Clark; Julie and Eric Clark; Emily and Walter Clarke; Sara Fraser Crismon; Kathy Crow; Leslie and Wicky el-Effendi; Regen Fearon; Rebecca and Barron Fletcher; Sharon and Steve Folsom; Jenney and David Gillikin; Susan and Mark Goodvin; Susan and Jim Graass; Carmen and Michael Gross; Sarah and Frank Hamlin; Linda and Phil Hodgson; Debra and Whit Johnson; Jennifer and Tom Karol; Kirsten and Mike Kerrigan; Eugenia and Frank-Paul King; Leslie and Bob Krakow; Melissa and George Lamb; Carol and John Levy; Lynn Markley; Libby and Murray McCabe; Suzanne and Patrick McGee; Astrid Merriman; Peggy and Dan Meyer; Jennifer and Jon Mosle; Meaders and Robert Ozarow; Kate and Will Power; Carolyn and Karl Rathjen; Kersten Rettig and Clark Knippers; Lisa and John Rocchio; Nancy and Steve Rogers; Catherine and Will Rose; Barbara and Randy Rosenblatt; Lizzie and Dan Routman; Sarah and Bruce Sammis; Catherine and Mike Sweet; Candace and Max Swango; Denice and Dale Swift; Michelle and Stewart Thomas; Dawne and Patrick Tribolet; Carol and Bennett Vig; Sarah and Russell; Weinberg; Cici and Giffen Weinman; Lori Whitlow.

Cocktails in the Kitchen Welcomes New Faces to the VNA Community 

VNA’s newest event, Cocktails in the Kitchen, paired the Lee Bros. with a behind the scenes look at the Haggerty Kitchen on March 3, 2020. The inaugural event, which was geared toward a more millennial population, raised more than $25,000. 

Guests enjoyed mixed cocktails, including the very Southern Mint Julep, and breaking bread in the Meals on Wheels Kitchen. Each guest then experienced a tour of the kitchen facility and learned about the history and operations of Meals on Wheels. Tours were led by VNA staff members Inga Wilson, Tracie Demerley, Cheryl Jones and Kait Novara.   

The Lee Bros.

Hallie and Max Lamont

Dean and Wanda Fearing, Kersten Rettig

The nearly 200 guests retired to the patio and enjoyed live jazz music and a menu of coastal cuisine with a Lowcountry Boil featuring fresh ingredients from the sea, spicy sausage, an array of spices and fresh vegetables.

Sincere thanks go to event co-chairs Hallie and Max Lamont and Nicolette and Miles Lamont, as well as their dedicated committee:  Ashley and Robert Cathey; Lauren and John Coffman; Liz and Stewart Coleman; Louise and Charles Marsh; Meredith and Xan Moore; Mary and Robert Quick; Cheryl and Andrew Schoellkopf; Jennifer and Andrew Snow.

Join VNA in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas to help raise funds for COVID-19 relief. Gifts can be made online by visiting northtexasgivingday.org and searching for VNA. Funds raised will help provide meals and compassionate care to clients we serve in North Texas.

A message from CEO, Katherine Krause

As you know, VNA serves the most vulnerable in our community, and as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic, VNA continues to provide expert, compassionate care for seriously ill patients and deliver food and friendship to homebound neighbors in need. Following recommended guidelines for keeping our staff, volunteers and clients safe during this outbreak, VNA is continuing to deliver meals to our homebound seniors and provide Hospice and Palliative Care. 

Our response to the increased demand caused by COVID-19 has been swift and continues to evolve in real time. But we can’t do it without the generosity of our community.  People across North Texas want to help their neighbors. I am inspired by those who have stepped up to help us rapidly respond to the increasing need—the outpouring of financial, in-kind and volunteer support has truly enabled us to swiftly act in this time of crisis.

Thank you to our dedicated Meals on Wheels volunteers who have helped us deliver shelf stable meals and are now making virtual deliveries to provide social connection and a safety check for homebound seniors.  Our talented hospice volunteers are hard at work making cloth masks for our staff to use in case of ongoing shortages. Families and school groups are lovingly making greeting cards for our clients. Local companies are donating PPE and hand sanitizer to protect our patients, clients and staff. 

Ensuring our senior neighbors receive the food and friendship they need while partnering with other community organizations—we are answering the call to help.  The most vulnerable in our community are hungry and we are working with our nonprofit partners, the City of Dallas and Dallas County to ensure they are nourished.  Our kitchen is fully operational preparing meals for our clients, senior center curbside pick-up locations, pop-up homeless shelters and Catholic Charities community centers.

The collaborative, giving spirit in North Texas is truly a bright spot in our challenging world, but we know the need for our services will continue to grow.  Together, we can bring food, dignity and hope to those most in need due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Click here for easy ways you can help VNA serve our most vulnerable neighbors.  I am deeply grateful for your support. Thank you.

Warmest regards,
Katherine