Volunteers are the heart of VNA and all we do. In previous years VNA has held one large-scale volunteer appreciation lunch event and invited all Meals on Wheels volunteers to attend.  These events have grown year to year with attendance in excess of 800 volunteers! While it’s fun to look across a big room and see so many people with a passion for helping seniors, it doesn’t give us time to individually thank each and every one of you! 

So this spring we’re trying something new! VNA has scheduled volunteer appreciation lunch mini-events in several areas of Dallas County so we can personally thank you, get to know you better, and allow you to visit with fellow volunteers from your meal drop site.  These will be casual events (noon – 1:15 p.m.) with lunch and other goodies for everyone who RSVPs in advance. If you can’t make the event for your area, we’ll happily share the dates for other geographic areas so you can still participate. 

In early March we held events for volunteers who serve in Bachman, Mesquite, Pleasant Grove, Seagoville, West Dallas, and southern Dallas County.  It was so much fun to see you all and hear about your adventures in delivering meals! Because we can’t say it enough, thank you for all you do and all those you serve!

Be on the look out as we’ll be sending Evites for the April and May events shortly.  Contact volunteer@vnatexas.org for more details!

Did you know VNA Meals on Wheels has a Pet Care Program dedicated to helping our clients’ four-legged companions stay healthy and well fed? Since the program began, we have served hundreds of clients with supplemental pet food and have heard many heartwarming stories.

Last year, 93-year-old Ophelia called our office to inquire about getting Taffy, her five-year-old poodle mix, to the vet for a skin infection. Ophelia was embarrassed she was having trouble keeping up with Taffy’s grooming and worried that she had caused the problem. VNA used its connection with the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation to identify a local vet who could take care of Taffy. Mimi Gary, a South Dallas volunteer through St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, stepped up to transport Taffy to the vet. Thanks to the Pet Care Program, a wonderful friendship has blossomed between Mimi, Ophelia, and Taffy! Mimi often swings by Ophelia’s house after she finishes her delivery route to check in on her new friends. With VNA’s help, everyone remains happy and healthy in their South Dallas home.

Do you have a heart for animals? The VNA Pet Care Program welcomes volunteers interested in providing help with conducting pet food drives, organizing/labeling pet food donations, delivering pet food on Saturday mornings, and transporting pets to the vet or groomer. For more information, contact Juliet Nations at nationsj@vnatexas.org.

Whether you are a brand new volunteer or a seasoned veteran, below are some tips to make sure your next delivery goes smoothly!

If a client is not home and there is no note to tell you to leave it with a neighbor, please do not leave any meals unattended under any circumstance. Just leave a “Sorry We Missed You!” Post-it note on the client’s door, return the meal to your cooler/blue bag, and report the client as not home by calling (214) 689-3201. You can give the meal to another client on your route. Out of Post-it notes? Email us at volunteer@vnatexas.org and we’ll send some to the meal drop site for your next delivery date!

Dave Loper, Meals on Wheels Hero VNA Meals on Wheels and Pet Care volunteer since 2015. Dave does it all: In 2017, he delivered 2,112 meals, drove 2,840 miles, and provided field training ride-alongs for new volunteers at the Carrollton drop site. He also fills in for last-minute routes, spends extra time with high-need clients, spearheads monthly pet food prep while maintaining order in the pet food supply room at the VNA office. Dave is invaluable and offers great recommendations to make the Pet Care Program more efficient. What lead him to VNA: Dave found us online, read more through the VNA website, and knew he’d found a volunteer home.

What would he be doing if he wasn’t volunteering for VNA:
Playing golf.

Favorite thing about volunteering for VNA:
Dave shares that VNA is his heart, and he doesn’t want to volunteer with anyone else. "All the folks I have been interacting with, the awesome staff, helping out other volunteers, trying to bring the most positive attitude to clients and to all the drivers and worker bees at VNA that I meet—it's truly a joy to me to be a part of this work and I thank you all for letting me be around to help."

We’re here to help you with anything that will make your volunteer experience better.  Thank you for choosing VNA Meals on Wheels!

Inga Wilson, Manager of Volunteer Engagement – wilsoni@vnatexas.org, (214) 689-2685

Kim Peters, Manager of Corporate and Group Relations – petersk@vnatexas.org, (214) 689-2210

Juliet Nations, Pet Care Coordinator – nationsj@vnatexas.org, (214) 689-2233

Karri Hopper, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator – hopperk@vnatexas.org, (214) 689-2209

Melanie Crommett, Student Engagement Strategist – crommettm@vnatexas.org, (972) 567-6688