Dance Under the Stars with Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson & Ellis Counties during “March For Meals” Campaign

If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved. — Bono

Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties is a proud participant of the national 2009 “March For Meals” campaign. Meals-on-Wheels’ “March For Meals” event will include an awareness media campaign of its local services in each community, the national “Mayors For Meals” delivering in their communities on Wednesday, March 19, and a benefit celebration, “A Night Under the Stars” on Saturday, March 28, kicking off the construction campaign of a new regional kitchen facility.

The event will be held at the site where the new, multi-use facility will be built, TXI Railport. The celebration will begin with a special reception hosted by the Honorary Chairman of the “Kitchen Cabinet,” Congressman Joe Barton. A barbecue dinner will follow along with dancing beneath a star-filled sky.

“We anticipate people from all of our communities and around North Central Texas to take part in this first-ever Meals-on-Wheels event,” said Amy Jackson, director of development. “We are looking forward to the celebration because of the awareness it will bring to our organization, but more importantly, how it will help our needy neighbors.”

The new Meals-on-Wheels regional kitchen facility will be located in the heart of the two counties. From it, Meals-on-Wheels will initially prepare more than 1,200 fresh hot meals daily at the projected opening in Fall of 2010. The new Meals-on-Wheels kitchen will…

• enable Meals-on-Wheels to reduce transportation and production costs by building a central location close to those served,
• improve the quality of the meals served to the needy elderly and disabled residents,
• provide a permanent facility that will serve the community now and for many years to come, and
• meet the needs of the growing elderly and disabled population in Johnson and Ellis Counties.

Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available ranging from $250 to $5,000, and tickets to the reception and dinner are also for sale. For more information, call 817-558-2840, 972-351-9943 or email at [email protected]. The monies raised will directly benefit the community’s homebound neighbors.

“This will be an evening to announce and bring more awareness to the work we are doing, including the new kitchen,” commented Jackson. “We are very excited about the support shown for this project. Our own kitchen will enable to serve more people and guarantee our services into the future,” she added.

“March For Meals” is a national campaign, in which Meals-on-Wheels is a participant, to raise awareness of senior hunger, and to encourage action on the part of the local community. Senior nutrition programs across the United States promote “March For Meals” in their local communities through public events, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising initiatives.

Meals-on-Wheels is a community-based, non-profit organization serving the homebound elderly and disabled residents throughout Johnson and Ellis Counties. For more information about the “March For Meals” events or about Meals-on-Wheels services, please contact Meals-on-Wheels at 871-558-2840, 972-351-9943 or www.servingthechildrenofyesterday.org. For more information on the 2009 “March For Meals” campaign please contact Meals on Wheels Association of America at 703-548-5558 or www.mowaa.org.