New meals on the menu
for Monroe County Meals on Wheels clients

Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc. (VNS) has added a new meal service to its menu of program options through its licensed agency, Visiting Nurse Signature Care - The Dining Car was designed to bring greater home-delivered meal choices to Monroe County residents.

The private-pay meal service was created for those individuals who wish to purchase meals a-la-carte, restaurant-style, offering everything from soups and salads to entrees such as Chicken French. The Dining Car furthers the agency's goal to be the community's first choice for in-home nutrition by providing healthy meal plan options to seniors and the homebound. Unique to the Rochester area, only a handful of meal programs offer this type of service nationally.

"We worked closely with the American Red Cross to develop an exciting new service that expands VNS' traditional Meals on Wheels program. Clients see the value of the higher quality meals and appreciate the wide variety of choices; most feel that the food is exceptional," noted VNS President and Chief Executive Officer Victoria Hines.

Offering ready-to-eat cold and heat-to-eat meals, the service was rolled-out in January 2004. Clients may select up to a week's worth of meals, choosing from soups, sandwiches and salads to premiere entrees from a specially designed restaurant-quality menu designed by a registered dietitian. Meals are planned weekly and prepared daily with the freshest ingredients available and delivered chilled to retain their freshness. Individual meals are $7.

Partners in providing meal preparation and distribution for more than 25 years, VNS and the ARC recognized the increased interest by seniors for more services that help them stay in their home as they age, and that many opt to take advantage of enhanced services like The Dining Car. The agencies developed an extension of their traditional meal program that would be competitive with available commercial services. The recent addition of the Culinary Arts Program at the ARC helps make this service a reality. ARC began partnering with the Rochester Education Outreach Center (REOC) and SUNY Brockport in September 2003. With The Dining Car service, students get hands-on experience preparing meals similar to what they would prepare in Rochester's top restaurants.

For more information on, or to begin The Dining Car meal service, call 585-787-8399.