VNA’s 11th Annual Celebrity Chef Hosts Treasured Dallas Culinarian + Restaurateur Julian Barsotti

Event incorporates “Meals on Wheels” style meal delivery into virtual fundraiser

The Visiting Nurse Association is doing what it does best and incorporating their Meals on Wheels style of food delivery into this year’s 11th annual Celebrity Chef event, hosted by esteemed Dallas Chef Julian Barsotti on March 24, 2021.

While the event typically enlists in a celebrity chef outside of Dallas, given the last 12 months, including the significant impact the pandemic has had on our senior neighbors in need, our local restaurant scene and foodservice industry as a whole, it just felt right to stay close to home and collaborate with those who support VNA while giving back to those who have been challenged to stay afloat. We’ve found the best of the best to provide us with delicious and sophisticated comfort food to soothe our souls.

Julian Barsotti, chef and owner of Dallas’ favorite restaurants Nonna, Carbone’s, Sprezza, and Fachini is headlining the 11th Annual Celebrity Chef event. During the quarantine, Julian and his team quickly pivoted and created two, one-of-a-kind pop-up concepts, Ritas & Queso and The Grape Ape. Featuring Tex-Mex favorites and Italian eats respectively, the delivery and pick-up options have hit a sweet spot for Dallas diners.

Serving as Honorary Chairs are Andrea Hagar and Shelley Hudson of Food Company. As founders and co-owners of Food Company, a local custom catering company, they have been fiercely supportive of the Celebrity Chef event from the beginning. And, how fortuitous that Shelley just happens to be Chef Julian’s mom! Great taste runs in the family.

Guests will be treated to a Feast of San Giuseppe and including Italian American Antipasto-olives, artichokes marinto, roasted peppers, prosciutto, spicy salami, garlic bread and fresh mozzarella cheese; Caesar salad, and Ragu alla Sunday-Rigatoni pasta, Luciano sausages, Osso buco, meatballs a la Barsotti and spicy rabe. Italian wine and Prosecco are also included. Delivery of these items will be Meals on Wheels style with VNA vetted volunteers using COVID-19 safety protocols to hand-deliver the delicious feast.

Now in its second year, Cocktails in the Kitchen, held on March 23, 2021, will pair Chef Barsotti and a basket of Venetian-inspired delicacies known as andar a ciceti-small bites made with exquisite ingredients with a virtual behind the scenes look at the Haggerty Kitchen. The kitchen, which produces 8,000 meals daily for Dallas County seniors, is the home of the VNA Meals on Wheels program. All funds raised support VNA Meals on Wheels, Hospice and Palliative Care programs.

“I’m honored to support VNA’s mission by headlining both the Cocktails in the Kitchen and Celebrity Chef events and I’m excited to share my love of Italian food virtually. VNA has been important to our family for many years and we are grateful to be part of an organization that is so vital to seniors in our community,” said Barsotti.

Barsotti will converse with guests over the Zoom platform and will demonstrate a recipe from the menu. He’ll also provide his unique perspective as an Italian American and how Italian food has influenced his life. Additionally, he will share how the pandemic forced the innovation of his two new concepts, Ritas & Queso and The Grape Ape.

“We’re thrilled to be able to safely continue this beloved event on behalf of VNA. Supporting VNA’s mission is more important than ever and this event gives an opportunity to enjoy Chef Barsotti’s engaging personality and delicious food virtually while raising critical funds for North Texas seniors,” say Celebrity Chef Co-Chairs Julie and Eric Clark and Catherine and Will Rose.

About the Event: Cocktails in the Kitchen

Cocktails in the Kitchen benefitting VNA

Co-Chairs: Flauren and Jason Bender and Louise and Charles Marsh

March 23, 2021 7 pm-8 pm http://www.vnatexas.org/cocktailsinthekitchen

This event will be virtual.

Cocktails in the Kitchen Host Committee

Katie Aisner, Lindsay Billingsley, Jessica Bolander, Mia Brous, Molly Bruder, Ashley Cathey, Hannah Fagadau, Christina Gray, Margaret Hirsch, Sonny Konoeke, Hallie Lamont, Nicolette Lamont, Bridget Miller, Meredith Moore, Libby Ornani, Janelle Panelle, Cheryl Schoellkopf, Amanda Shufeldt and Meredith Wallace.

About the Event: Celebrity Chef

11th Annual Celebrity Chef Event benefitting VNA

Co-Chairs: Julie and Eric Clark and Catherine and Will Rose

March 24, 2021 |Dinner 7pm-8pm https://www.vnatexas.org/celebritychef/

This event will be virtual.

Celebrity Chef Event Committee

Lydia and Bill Addy, Mary Kathryn Bass, Amy and Brandon Bean, Carrie and Steven Becker, Mary Frances and Tim Bellman, Flauren and Jason Bender, Kathleen and Bob Berry, Lisa and Chuck Brown, Nita and Cullum Clark, Sara Fraser Crismon, Kathy and Harlan Crow, Amy and Sam Dabbous, Natasha and Antal Desai, Betsy and Richard Eiseman, Rebecca and Barron Fletcher, Sarah and Frank Hamlin, Holly and Jim Hands, Linda and Phil Hodgson, Regen Horchow, Amy and Scott Houdek, Amy and Robert Isom, Kirsten and Mike Kerrigan, Eugenia and Frank-Paul King, Leslie and Bob Krakow, Rachel and Brian Ladin, Hallie and Max Lamont, Carol and John Levy, Michelle and Bill Lockhart, Louise and Charles Marsh, Libby and Murray McCabe, Suzanne and Patrick McGee, Astrid Merriman, Jennifer and Jon Mosle, Meaders and Robert Ozarow, Stacy and Lawrence Piccagli, Karen and Richard Pollock, Carolyn and Karl Rathjen, Katherine and Eric Reeves, Nicole and Alex Ritcher, Lisa and John Rocchio, Nancy and Steve Rogers, Lizzie and Dan Routman, Deborah and John Scott, Amanda and Charlie Shufeldt, Abigail and Andrew Sinwell, Nicole and Justin Small, Danielle and Chad Stephens, Denice and Dale Swift, Dawne and Pat Tribolet, Gwendolyn and Richard Turcotte, Carol and Ben Vig, Merry and Chad Vose, Sarah and Russell Weinberg, CiCi and Giffen Weinmann, Paula and Charles Wills, Megan and Brady Wood, and Michelle and Peery Wood

About VNA

Established in 1934, the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps people age with dignity and independence at home. VNA is the community’s most trusted provider of quality health care services in the home and is the first, most experienced Hospice Care provider in Texas. VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, and VNA Hospice Care and Palliative Care in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Henderson, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant, Van Zandt and Wise Counties. Visit www.vnatexas.org or call 1 (800) CALL-VNA for more information.

Delivering Hope in Challenging Times
The Visiting Nurse Association of Texas Continues Mission Amid Covid-19 Crisis

DALLAS, TX, April 22, 2020 – The Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA) serves the most vulnerable in our community, and as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic, VNA continues to provide expert, compassionate care for seriously ill patients and deliver food and friendship to homebound neighbors in need. Following recommended guidelines for keeping our staff, volunteers, and clients safe during this outbreak, VNA has remained steadfast in our mission: to help people age with dignity and independence at home.  

VNA’s response to the increased demand caused by COVID-19 has been swift and continues to evolve in real-time. The collaborative, giving spirit of the people across North Texas is evident as they rise up to help VNA meet the evolving needs of vulnerable senior neighbors.

How VNA and our community have responded:

• The VNA kitchen is fully operational preparing hot, nutritious meals for home-delivered Meals on Wheels clients, Dallas County senior center curbside pick-up locations, City of Dallas Homeless Solutions pop-up homeless shelter and the Brady Center.
• As the organization does its part to help flatten the curve, hot meals and additional shelf-stable meals are now delivered to homebound senior clients on Thursdays or Fridays by VNA staff. Clients still receive at least five meals a week and virtual deliveries will continue until it is safe to return to our normal delivery model.
• Meals on Wheels successfully launched the virtual delivery platform in March with huge success. With the assistance of the VNA Meals on Wheels mobile app, dedicated volunteers are able to say hello, remind clients to eat one of their shelf-stable meals and see if they need help with other concerns such as utility or medication assistance. Additionally, these friendly calls provide a safety check for clients and help to combat the increased isolation and they may be feeling due to COVID-19.
• VNA Hospice music therapists have created the “Front Porch Concert” series in which patients receive the critical therapy they need while maintaining the CDC guidelines for safe distances. Additionally, therapists post regular music sessions on the VNA Facebook page.
• Thanks to partnerships with the Irving, Dallas, Garland and Coppell Animal Services and Irving Police Department, all pets on the Meals on Wheels Pet Care program continue to receive their supplemental food.
• VNA’s talented hospice volunteers are hard at work making cloth masks for staff to use in case of ongoing shortages.
• Families and school groups are lovingly making greeting cards for senior clients.
• Local companies are donating PPE and hand sanitizer to protect our patients, clients and staff. 

-More-

“VNA continues to deliver its mission, caring for our most vulnerable elderly through Meals on Wheels, hospice and palliative care.  We want to thank our community for the tremendous outpouring of financial and volunteer support to help meet organizational needs, working together to ensure essential care continues to be provided to our seniors neighbors,” says Katherine Krause, President and CEO, VNA.

Due to the adjusted delivery process and operational changes necessary during the COVID-19 crisis, the cost of delivering a meal has increased. The lack of utilization of volunteers to deliver meals, coupled with the addition of nearly 200 homebound seniors to the VNA Meals on Wheels waiting list—the increased demand has been and will likely continue to be steady. With these changes, VNA is projecting a COVID-related deficit of $1.5 million for the 2020 fiscal year which ends on June 30.

To date, generous donors are helping us meet the growing demand.  Specifically, VNA is grateful for the following community partners who have provided financial and in-kind support related to the COVID-19 crisis: Anonymous Donor; Bank of America; Cigna; Church of the Incarnation; DFW Giving Back; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation; HEB/Central Market; Hillcrest Foundation; GoGo squeeZ Squad; Kozmetsky Family Foundation; Lyda Hill Philanthropies; Mavs Foundation; Meadows Foundation; Meals On Wheels America; Moody Foundation; Molina; Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities; Pearl Energy Investments; Perot Foundation; Santander; Selections Promotional Products; Texas Baptist Men; Truist Cares; US China Chamber of Commerce; and various gifts from individual donors.

As the needs and environment continue to evolve daily, VNA continues to rely on community support to carry out our mission to help seniors age with dignity and independence at home.  In addition to financial support, VNA is seeking mask and face coverings for vulnerable Meals on Wheels clients as well as non-clinical staff.  Click here for easy ways the community can help VNA serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

About VNA

Established in 1934, VNA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps older adults age with dignity and independence at home. VNA is the community’s most trusted provider of quality health care services in the home and is the first, most experienced Hospice Care provider in Texas.  VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, and VNA Hospice and Palliative Care in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Henderson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant, Wise and Van Zandt Counties.  Visit www.vnatexas.org or call 1 (800) CALL-VNA for more information.