Published: November 18, 2008 10:02 am      

MOW celebrates National Philanthropy Day

Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties celebrated National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 6 by honoring The Joe Barton Family Foundation at a luncheon held at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth.

The annual event was sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

More than 500 people gathered to honor nonprofit organizations, private foundations, corporations, clubs and individual donors from all over North Texas.

The board of trustees chose the Foundation as this year’s honoree because of its lead gift of $500,000 toward the upcoming capital campaign to build a regional kitchen and offices for Meals-on-Wheels.

“The Joe Barton Family Foundation made a most generous lead gift for our new kitchen. By committing early, they have, in fact, jump started our efforts to build what will be an incredible facility. This is a gift to our community that will be enjoyed for many years to come, a gift that will help Meals-on-Wheels serve many more people in need,” said Vinsen Faris, Meals-on-Wheels executive director.

National Philanthropy Day is the special day set aside each year to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy — and those people active in the philanthropic community — have made to our lives, our communities and our world. The theme for National Philanthropy Day this year was “Change the World with a Giving Heart.”

Past Meals-on-Wheels’ Philanthropy Day honorees include The Waxahachie Foundation, Walgreen’s Distribution Center, Mr. Art Norton, Community Bank, United Way of Johnson County, Lowell & Shirley Smith, The Alton & Fay Talbert Memorial Fund, The Heritage Assembly, Mrs. Pat Wilkirson, and Bank of America Cleburne Banking Center.

“Like all of our previous honorees, the Barton Foundation is moving the mission of Meals-on-Wheels forward, and we all owe them our sincerest thanks,” Faris said.

The Joe Barton Family Foundation was established in 2005 and provides substantial financial support to select charitable organizations within Texas’s 6th Congressional District to enable them to achieve aggressive goals that would have been otherwise unattainable.

The intent of these large-scale projects is to dramatically improve the quality of life for affected individuals, leading to better lives and stronger Texas communities. For more information on the Foundation visit www.JoeBartonFamilyFoundation.org.

Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis Counties is a community-based non-profit organization serving the residents of Johnson & Ellis counties for 31 years. For information, to volunteering or donate, or to suggest someone who could benefit from Meals-on-Wheels services, call the Meals-on-Wheels offices at 817-558-2840 or 972-351-9943, or visit www.servingthechildrenofyesterday.org.