Saturday Volunteers Needed!

VNA is in need of 100 volunteers for Saturday deliveries! Beginning on Saturday, August 17, volunteers are needed to deliver pet food for the VNA Pet Care program and in partnership with the North Texas Food Bank, food boxes to seniors for the Nourishing Neighbors program. 

• Pick up and deliver food on specific Saturdays from 8:30AM – 11:30AM.

• Pickup location will be at VNA Meals on Wheels located at 1440 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75247.

• In order to volunteer, you must be fully onboarded in the VNA Meals on Wheels Volunteer Portal—get started with the application process today at https://volunteer.vnatexas.org/landing.   The volunteer onboarding process includes completing the online volunteer application, passing a background check, and completion of online or in-person training.

• After your onboarding process is complete, you will be able to sign up for the weekend deliveries as a special event on your calendar in the volunteer portal.

For more information, please email volunteer@vnatexas.org or call 214-689-3222.

Spots Still Open to Join the VNA 2019-2020 Teen Board!

Through a variety of volunteer projects and special events, the VNA Meals on Wheels Teen Board’s objective is to assist VNA Meals on Wheels in feeding the hungry and spreading awareness about senior hunger in the community.  Last year, 70 teens from 20 Dallas-area high schools serve on the Teen Board. Past service projects include making holiday gifts and snack bags for VNA Meals on Wheels clients and delivering space heaters.  VNA Teen Board Meetings are held at 2:30 p.m. on the 2nd Sunday of every month during the school year at VNA Haggerty Center located at 1440 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75247. 

Program commitments and requirements:

• There is an application process and membership is open to all Dallas-area high school students; up to 70 applicants will be accepted.

• Members are asked to make a one-year commitment with the possibility of continued service throughout their high school years.

• Yearly dues are $40.  Dues will cover the cost of a t-shirt and establish the general operating budget for the Teen Board. (Financial Aid Scholarships are available based on need.)

• To remain active, VNA Teen Board members must attend a minimum of 5 meetings and participate in 5 service events (3 meal delivery routes; 2 non-delivery activities) between September and April.

• The deadline for applications is Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

For more information about the VNA Meals on Wheels Teen Board or to request an application, please contact Inga Wilson at 214-689-2685 or wilsoni@vnatexas.org.

How to Deliver Meals with VNA

Check out our new online training videos! Are you curious about how to deliver a meal?  Volunteered to deliver meals before and need a refresher?  You’re in luck!  We now have a video training series located on our VNA Meals on Wheels Portal.  Click here to watch!  https://volunteer.vnatexas.org/Help

Join VNA for North Texas Giving Day

Special thanks to two generous donors, your gift on North Texas Giving Day will go even further! In addition to the bonus giving opportunity on North Texas Giving Day, your gift to VNA will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $25,000! Your impact will be doubled—helping to nourish homebound seniors, provide compassionate care for seriously ill patients and comfort families struggling with the loss of a loved one.

Save the date and meet our staff at the following events to learn how you can make an impact in our community.

Saturday, September 14 - Party in the Park at Finch Park, McKinney; 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, September 14 - Dallas County Donation Station, Family Philanthropy Festival at NorthPark Center, Dallas; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Thursday, September 19 - Celebration on the Square, 110 W. Hickory St., Denton ; 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

A message from CEO, Katherine Krause

VNA’s mission has always been to help the most vulnerable in our community. This spring, VNA made a decision to go back to our roots and expand our continuum of care for those most in need. VNA Meals on Wheels, VNA Hospice Care and VNA Care Choices (the first Medicare-sponsored, in-home palliative care program in North Texas) are integrating care teams to create a new way for our vulnerable seniors to receive the care they desperately need. The collaboration began in March 2019 with two RN Nurse Navigators screening high-risk Meals on Wheels clients who may need additional clinical support at home. Clients are evaluated for clinical care gaps and referrals are initiated for a higher level of care as appropriate. Clients are also provided with education and assistance in self-monitoring related to medication and chronic disease management (e.g., diabetes) helping these seniors continue to age in place safely at home.

Recently, our RN Nurse Navigator, Karri, met with a couple receiving Meals on Wheels. Both suffer from chronic conditions and it was evident they could benefit from a higher level of care. Faced with the possibility of being separated from one another, VNA was able to help these seniors stay at home safely—together. Karri was able to connect with their physicians to prescribe more clinical care in the home through our VNA Care Choices program.  Now with regular nursing visits and medication management, this couple remains together in their beloved home. Support from our community is vital to sustain this program.  If you are interested in investing with us to care for our most vulnerable, please reach out to me at krausek@vnatexas.org 

Sincerely,

Katherine