Today is one of the hottest days this summer in Vermont, but Dinners with Love has chills.

Why?

Our program is officially launching in Bennington County right now.

The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) in Bennington joined the Dinners with Love program earlier this spring. Staff and volunteers have been hard at work this summer getting organized, recruiting restaurants, and inviting patients to participate in the program.

This week, three hospice patients and their families will begin receiving meals. That's three families who will receive care, comfort, and food from their community.

We have five wonderful restaurants who are making this possible. Brown's Brewing Company, Cilantro, The Elm Street Market, KFC/Taco Bell, and Lil Britain Fish and Chip Shop are the first restaurants to partner with VNAHSR in Bennington.

We are so grateful for the VNAHSR staff and volunteers, as well as these kind, generous restaurants, who are working together to spread food and love to more hospice patients and their families in Vermont.

Dinners with Love has been fortunate to have had many wonderful board members over the years. People who are passionate about offering food and comfort to hospice patients and their families. People who bring their knowledge, experience, and creativity to the table. People who strongly but lovingly encourage the organization to do more to be of service to our community.

Like all good things, some board terms are sadly coming to an end this fall. And because we also hope to increase the size of the board, this means we are looking for 3-5 individuals to fill their shoes, starting in October.

Is that you? Is that someone you know?

Our board members serve as trusted advisors to the Executive Director as she implements the organization's strategic plan. They represent Dinners with Love to stakeholders, and serve as active advocates and ambassadors for the organization.

To round out the knowledge and skills of our existing Board of Directors, we are looking for individuals who have a background in one or more of the following areas:

• Business Analysis
• Graphic Design
• Marketing
• Law
• Event Planning
• Fundraising/Development
• Technology

We would be especially interested to hear from individuals who live or work in the areas where we currently operate or are expanding service to. This includes Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Orleans, and Rutland Counties, as well as the Barre/Montpelier, St. Albans, and Alburg/Island Pond areas. In addition, we hope individuals whose loved ones have received meals through the Dinners with Love program and/or hospice care would consider joining us.

To learn more about the valuable role our board members play for our organization, please contact our Executive Director, Sarah Audet. She may be reached at 802-465-1027 or sarah[at]dinnerswithlove.org.