“Please don’t stop bringing Meals on Wheels to me… I’m not sure how I will make it without you,” has been the most common call we have received since the media attention focused on Meals on Wheels funding. We are reassuring our clients that their meal service will continue and making sure our donors and volunteers know how important they are to our ability to serve. “Since 1934, VNA Texas, Visiting Nurse Association, has been a leading agency in serving the community’s most vulnerable populations and because of our strong community support, we will be here to continue caring for the people of North Texas,” says Katherine Krause, VNA President & CEO.

Below is information about our budget, program, and how you can help:

• VNA receives approximately 40% of its funding from federal and state sources. Most of the funds are through the Older Americans Act, administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. We match these funds with private dollars to serve people meals.  The combination of federal, state, and private funding is a great example of successful public-private partnership.

• VNA has grown the budget for Meals on Wheels while government funding has decreased. Eight years ago, government funding made up 70% of the VNA Meals on Wheels budget. Today, it makes up 40%. This decrease is a combination of our increased professional and board fundraising and reduced government funding.

• We have grown the number of clients served on Meals on Wheels. Eight years ago, VNA Meals on Wheels served approximately 3,000 people daily. Today, we prepare approximately 6,000 meals daily, of which 4,600 are delivered to client’s homes and the rest are prepared for senior centers.

• VNA is a compassionate program, but it’s also a fiscally responsible investment with proven success. It costs us $6/day to produce and deliver a meal. Research shows our program keeps seniors healthier, allowing them to stay in their homes instead of a Medicaid nursing home ($150/day) or being hospitalized for malnutrition and dehydration ($1,500/day). We can feed a senior for one year for approximately the same cost as one day in a hospital.

• You can help by volunteering! For every route a volunteer delivers, we are able to save enough money to feed a senior for a week. We love volunteers who can deliver weekly, monthly, or during holidays. To sign up, email volunteer@vnatexas.org.

• You can help by donating! For just $30, you will feed a senior for a week. For $120, you’ll feed someone for a month. Every gift is appreciated and needed. Please consider a monthly gift. Donations can be made at vnatexas.org/donate or mail to VNA, 1600 Viceroy #400, Dallas, 75235.

• Share your Meals on Wheels story with friends and the community. As a client, volunteer, or donor, you are our best advocate. Please share your experience – in person and on social media. Tell your story or share ours. Our Facebook page and Twitter handle are named VNAtexas.

If you’d like additional information or have a story to share with us, please contact me at KatherineK@vnatexas.org. Thank you for your support!

Gratefully, President & CEO VNA Texas