Meals on Wheels gives out warm smiles and warm food on Thanksgiving
DALLAS - As many people gather around the table with family and friends eating a warm meal for Thanksgiving, there are many others in your community who may not have that same opportunity.
That's where Meals on Wheels comes in-helping homebound seniors and disabled adults in the metroplex.
This is the 50th year the Visiting Nurse Association has served Meals on Wheels in Dallas County.
On Thursday, they served 4,800 meals.
The prep work began before the crack of dawn, filling hundreds of pounds of turkey, veggies and all the fixings into to-go plates.
"It's so important that we are the eyes and ears for folks that may not get out," said Jennifer Austin, Managing Director of Development and Communications for the VNA. "Especially today, it's important to know that someone cares about you to deliver that festive holiday meal but also more than that, it's a social nutrition and just someone to give a friendly smile and let them know that they're cared for."
To help make this a seamless process, over 800 volunteers, including dozens of teenagers from the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, took the time out of their holiday to help those in our community.
"It's important for me because giving back to the community is really important to me," said volunteer Hogan Civello. "I love doing this every morning. Even though we are getting up at 4:00, 5:00 in the morning, it's a good feeling knowing that you're helping somebody who really needs it."
Click here to learn more about the VNA and Meals on Wheels.