Get Involved in Wheeling Township's Home Delivered Meal Program

Wheeling Township's Home Delivered Meal Program (HDM) has been changing people's lives, one meal at a time, for more than 25 years. For the recipient, the program provides hot, freshly prepared nutritious meals to help them maintain their health and independence.

For volunteers who deliver the meals, the opportunity to help a homebound senior or disabled person can be life changing. Elizabeth, a program volunteer from Buffalo Grove, has seen firsthand the value and rewards from being involved with the program, "I love being able to see our meal recipients and know I'm making a difference to them. They love to chat and are so appreciative of us," she said.

Working in tandem with The Lutheran Home, which has prepared the meals since the start, Wheeling Township coordinates the program, from interactions with potential clients, to engaging volunteers, and organizing daily and monthly delivery routes. Through HDM, a hot meal is delivered around mid-day by a friendly volunteer.

"The food is good and has helped me to stay in my home, but I mostly appreciate knowing that I'll get to see the volunteers' smiling faces; I know they care," said Joan, an HDM client.

"This program wouldn't exist without hundreds of local volunteers," said Wheeling Township Supervisor Kathleen Penner. "These selfless individuals, mostly seniors themselves, give so freely of their time and compassion for others, and it makes an incredible difference to so many residents in this Township. Thanks to their dedication, we are able to positively impact the community even more."

The Township's HDM program relies on more than 350 volunteers annually to help deliver meals five days a week, and even on weekday holidays. There are different types of HDM volunteers: Permanent (deliver the same route on the same day every week or month) or Substitute (volunteer chooses which day/days to deliver during the following month). Additionally, 25 local churches and their congregants support the HDM program by delivering meals to a specific route, one month of the year. During the Township's most recent fiscal year (2021-2022), 14,643 meals were delivered to homebound seniors over 60 and disabled individuals over the age of 18.

Jack and Diane of Arlington Heights have been volunteering for the HDM program for more than 13 years. They encourage anyone who would like to learn more about volunteering to check it out, "We were looking for a way to really make a hands-on difference in the community after we retired, and we've met so many residents over the years whose smiles and conversations make us feel so good. It never takes us more than an hour to deliver a route, thanks to all the organizing and support from the Township."

For more information about becoming an HDM volunteer, or to learn more about the cost of the meals and how to qualify for the program, call the Township's Senior & Disability Services Department at (847) 259-7730, ext 19.

Wheeling Township continues to make a significant difference in the community - as it has since 1850. To learn more about all the services provided by the Township to its residents, visit wheelingtownship.com.