350 Volunteers Deliver Meals and Friendship in Evanston

Some people receive a hot meal twice a week. Others receive their only conversation with another human being.

Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois cooks hundreds of meals daily for homebound residents in Evanston and surrounding communities. The nonprofit serves older adults and people with developmental disabilities who cannot prepare food themselves.

What started in 1968 with a nun and a handful of volunteers has grown into a community staple with 350 active volunteers serving 130 residents. Executive Director Justin Block credits Evanston's deep sense of community ownership for the impressive volunteer turnout.

The organization does more than drop off food and leave. Volunteers stay on the same routes week after week, building real relationships with the people they serve.

"It's important we play a pivotal role in their well-being, to make sure that someone's checking in on them," Block said. For many clients, volunteers are the only people they see once or twice a week.

Sunny's Take

Volunteer Lori Nerenberg describes the bond between volunteers and clients as "magical." Regular visits mean volunteers notice when something changes in a client's behavior or wellbeing. These small observations can make a huge difference for someone living alone.

The connection fights loneliness on both sides of the door. Volunteers leave knowing they genuinely mattered to someone's day.

Block hopes more college students will volunteer and recognize the humanity in the people they serve. "These people are somebody's grandmother, somebody's uncle, somebody's aunt," he said. "It's important to center that in our daily lives."

The nonprofit differentiates itself from commercial meal services by offering multiple meal choices and treating social connection as just as important as nutrition. When you're homebound, it's easy to become invisible to your community.

Three hundred fifty volunteers make sure 130 Evanston residents stay visible, fed, and connected.