Des Plaines Meals On Wheels program thriving

Des Plaines' Meals On Wheels program continues to thrive under the direction of the Des Plaines Frisbie Senior Center and will cost far less to run next year, said Don Smith, chairman of the senior center board, who gave a report at a recent city council meeting.

The city handed over administration of the program to the senior center on March 1 along with $40,000 in yearly funding. The program currently helps provide warm meals to 23 homebound senior citizens 60 years or older, but has served up to 32 people in the past.

“If we have capacity, are we getting the message out that this service exists?” asked 3rd Ward Alderman Matt Bogusz. “With the economy the way it is and foreclosures, it's hard to believe that there's a demand for only 23 at this time.”

City officials agreed to publicize the program more widely.

Meals On Wheels Administrator Melissa Kalliantasis said clients are mostly referred through hospital social workers.

Smith said the program is under budget this year and the center won't need the entire $40,000 subsidy from the city to run it in 2011; “$35,000 will be a more realistic figure for the coming year.”

For years, the Meals On Wheels program had been operated out of the city's Health and Human Services Department, but cost the city far more than $40,000 in staff time, benefits and pensions to run it. The city axed two full-time employee positions within that department as part of citywide cutbacks to close a budget shortfall in 2010.

Volunteers from area churches and throughout the city now deliver the meals that are provided to the center for free. Participants pay $4 per meal served five days a week.

Roughly 80 percent of the $40,000 city stipend goes toward salaries for a social worker, grant writer and administrator running the program, Smith said.

The senior center hopes to secure grant funding for the program in the future to lessen the burden on the city.

“We've been happy to take on this program and it's run fairly well, and hopefully it has spared the city a little expense also,” Smith said.

To know whether a senior qualifies for the program, call (847) 768-5944 to get an assessment done.