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VNA Today

March 2018

8th Annual Celebrity Chef

VNA’s Celebrity Chef Co-Chairs Mary Frances Bellman and CiCi Weinmann raised a record-breaking $511,000 to support Meals on Wheels and Charitable Hospice Care for North Texas Seniors. Thank you to our sponsors, table hosts and donors for making this the best Celebrity Chef event yet! Click below to view a video and photo gallery of the event.

View the Gallery Here

Pets on VNA Pet
Care Program

Current Hospice
Care Patients

Events Calendar

Sharing the Journey
Bereavement Luncheon
Wednesday, March 13
9:00 am - 11:30 am

Meals on Wheels
Volunteer Training
Thursday, March 15
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

New Friends on the Grief Journey
Wednesday, March 21
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Dallas Bereavement
Luncheon
Thursday, March 29
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

It’s Time to March for Meals

March is here and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to March for Meals! Now in its 16th year, the March for Meals campaign aims to provide education and create awareness about senior hunger. On March 22, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law a measure that amended the Older Americans Act of 1965 and established a national nutrition program for seniors 60 years and older. For more than 45 years Meals on Wheels has delivered more than just nutritious meals to homebound seniors in virtually every community across the country. There are many ways you can support VNA Meals on Wheels this month and all year long! Click here to find out about volunteering and delivering a Meals on Wheels route. Click here to make a donation in support of VNA Meals on Wheels. Thank you for supporting our hungry homebound seniors this March and throughout the year!.

Now Recruiting for the 2018-2019 VNA Teen Board

Highlights from the VNA Texas Celebrity Chef

Recruitment is now open for the 2018-2019 VNA Meals on Wheels Teen Board so please help us spread the word! This year’s Teen Board is made up of 80 high school students (grades 9-12) representing 27 schools throughout the Dallas area. These special teens make it their mission to assist VNA Meals on Wheels in feeding the hungry and spreading awareness about senior hunger. Membership requires a one-year commitment with the possibility of continued service throughout their high school years. Throughout the year students must attend a minimum of five membership meetings and participate in five service projects (including three delivery routes). Annual dues are $40 and financial aid scholarships are available based upon need. For more information or to request an application, please contact Melanie Crommett at crommettm@vnatexas.org. The application deadline is July 1st.

Teen Board is a great way to meet new people, develop leadership skills and serve in the community. This month the students made this video for the VNA Board of Directors. Check it out to meet Teen Board President, Elle Meneghetti and learn more about the program!

How you can help

VNA is always looking for passionate volunteers.

Volunteer

Feed a senior or provide
hospice services.

Donate

Spread the word
on social media.

Understanding the Real Impact of a Meal

Today, one is six seniors struggles with hunger. Dallas’ most vulnerable neighbors will continue to age and need more support and VNA Meals on Wheels must be ready to help them. In an environment of decreasing government funding and rapidly increasing need, it is imperative for VNA to be able to demonstrate the impact of our program—not only on the individuals we serve, but the economic implications of our community as a whole.

As a result, VNA has had to rely increasingly on community support to sustain our budget. Now more than ever, it is imperative for us to demonstrate our impact and the return on investment for our donors. To quantify and communicate our meaning and relevance in the Dallas and North Texas community, PwC conducted a pro bono research analysis. To measure the impact of Meals on Wheels, the team used analytics coupled with PwC’s Bodylogical model to understand VNA’s client population and predict community and client health.

Here are some of the research highlights:

Meals on Wheels clients experience individual health care cost savings of $2,218 per client as compared to seniors who do not receive service. Key target areas include cardiovascular health, dementia, and home health and skilled nursing facility utilization.
Including all 4,700 Meals on Wheels clients in the analysis, VNA saves an estimated $10.4 million annually in health costs collectively for clients.
Clients reported a 25% reduction in feelings of isolation and loneliness as compared to those not receiving meals. Research has shown loneliness is associated with a 44% increased risk of future dementia.
As a total, Meals on Wheels clients had an estimated 24 fewer heart attacks, 12 fewer hospitalizations due to congestive heart failure, and 12 fewer strokes annually as compared to seniors not receiving meal service.

Click here to see how your investment is improving health outcomes and decreasing the financial strain on our health care system. Thank you, PwC, for this invaluable research and commitment to VNA and our community.

Sincerely,

President & CEO VNA Texas

© VNATexas.org 2018
1600 Viceroy Drive, Ste 400, Dallas TX 75235

VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, and VNA Hospice Care and Private Care in Collin,
Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Henderson, Kaufman, Rockwall and Van Zandt Counties and parts of Cooke,
Grayson, Hunt, Navarro and Tarrant Counties.

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