Tuesday, April 12, 2022
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Home Delivered Meals and Community Dining for older adults.
“This golden anniversary is a milestone to celebrate and would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our funded nutrition providers across the region.” – Marla Fronczak, CEO, AgeGuide
Meals and More
The national Senior Nutrition Program is funded by the Older Americans Act (OAA) and administered through local senior nutrition sites. Not only do these services provide nutritious meals, but they also offer connections to other vital resources that strengthen social supports and promote health and wellbeing.
Home Delivered Meals provide a daily hot meal, well-being check and a few moments of friendly conversation. Community Dining allows older adults to enjoy a meal in a welcoming environment with friends and neighbors. Meals are available at funded-partner sites throughout AgeGuide’s eight county service area. Meals are served at least once each weekday to eligible individuals.
“We know nutrition plays a critical role in our health as we age, which is why the work of the Senior Nutrition Program is so essential. As we celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary, I want to recognize the thousands of staff and volunteers across the nation who have worked tirelessly to ensure older adults stay healthy and independent by preparing nutritious meals, offering a variety of nutrition and wellness services, and providing welcoming socialization opportunities.” - Judy Simon, MS, RD, LDN, National Nutritionist, ACL
What’s New in Nutrition?
As an essential service and critical support in times of crisis, the Senior Nutrition Program did not pause even during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, nutrition providers not only continued services but ramped up to meet increased demand and offered frozen and to-go meals as older adults sheltered at home. Our funded partners were resilient and innovative in providing over 1 million meals to over 10,000 participants in 2021.
Moving forward, with funding from Illinois Department of Aging, AgeGuide and its funded partners are prioritizing medically tailored meals, various ethnic foods and modernizing congregate dining sites to increase participation. In addition, plans are underway to create a regionwide restaurant-based congregate dining model that will increase participation by offering greater flexibility in meal choice and accessibility.
Celebrating Together
To mark this golden anniversary, AgeGuide’s Nutrition Team visited each provider agency in our region to recognize their great work and the tremendous impact they have on older adults’ health and continued independence.
DuPage County: DuPage Senior Citizens Council
Since 1975, DuPage Senior Citizens Council has been providing programs and advocating for services that help seniors thrive in the secure comfort of their own homes. DuPage Senior Citizens Council is dedicated to helping seniors navigate through the daily challenges they face as they age. From well-being checks, minor home repairs to helping older adults care for their pets, DuPage Senior Citizens Council provides important services that help older adults live independently.
Kane County: Kane Senior Council
While Kane Senior Council is a new organization, they have deep roots in the older adult community. In fact, their roots go back to 1974 when the DuPage Senior Citizens Council (DSCC) began advocating and providing services for older adults in need in DuPage County, Illinois. Kane Senior Council serves older adults in Kane County as well as some surrounding communities with In-Home Meal Delivery, Well-Being Checks, Friendly Visits and more.
Lake & McHenry Counties: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
For more than 98 years, Catholic Charities has empowered families and individu
als of all races and religious backgrounds to realize their full potential. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago offers 153 programs at 154 locations throughout Cook and Lake counties and has provided dining services for over 40 years in Lake and McHenry Counties. Hot lunchtime meals are served once daily Monday through Friday at their Community Dining locations. In the Home Delivered Meals program, noon-time meals are prepared and delivered by staff and volunteers, for those who are homebound and unable to prepare their own food due to physical to mental difficulties.
Grundy, Kendall & Will Counties: Community Nutrition Network & Senior Services Association
The Community Nutrition Network and Senior Services Association “CNNSSA” provides meals and resources to older adults and persons with disabilities and assists them in leading active and healthy lives. The Community Nutrition Network & Senior Services Association (CNNSSA) originated from a meal service program in the 1970’s becoming a not-for-profit organization in 2000 and is now considered one of the largest senior meal providers in the nation. CNNSSA provides Title IIIC home delivered meal and congregate dining services in 3 of the 8 counties in AgeGuide’s planning and service area.
Kankakee County: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Joliet
Catholic Charities began helping individuals and families in crisis after World War I. With over 50 years of experience providing community programs and services, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Joliet represents 7 counties in Illinois, 5 of which are in AgeGuide’s planning and service area. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Joliet is currently the home delivered meal provider in Kankakee County.
Will County: American Association of Retired Asians (AARA)
AARA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing referral, social, and recreational services with a mission to address the complex needs of the underserved South Asian Older Adult population by providing a range of culturally appropriate and linguistically sensitive services in the Greater Chicagoland area. AARA has provided authentic south Asian cuisine in addition to various enrichment activities to older adults residing in the Will County area for three years.
For more information about Senior Nutrition Program, contact 1-800-528-2000 or 630-293-5990 or visit www.ageguide.org
