Every Monday, Crestwood resident Mark Clark, 66, and his German Shepherd, Thor, anticipate a knock on their door. They know it will be a Food Depository driver delivering a box of meals, one warm and four frozen, to help provide consistent nutrition for Clark throughout the week.
Clark has done his best to make meals for himself since his wife died years ago, but cooking isn’t easy after his stroke – nor is affording food on his fixed income.
“The meals save me a lot. Prices at the grocery store are outrageously high,” said Clark.
He noted that the tacos and fish are among his favorites in the rotation of dinners he receives. He also appreciates his delivery driver, who brings the box of meals into his home. “He’s a nice guy. And the meals are very helpful.”
Supporting overall health
In 2024, the Food Depository started delivering prepared meals to more than 400 neighbors throughout Cook County in partnership with organizations serving older adults and people living with disabilities. We also partner with healthcare providers caring for neighbors with chronic health conditions who have also screened positive for food insecurity.
We were inspired to begin this work by neighbors like Clark, for whom prepared meals are often more helpful than grocery items in addressing food insecurity and supporting their overall health. Older adults and neighbors living with disabilities often experience transportation and/or mobility challenges in accessing groceries and preparing food for themselves.
Food Depository driver Joe Hanley delivers prepared meals to Markham resident Kim Mills for her mom, Josie.
The Food Depository is uniquely equipped to help meet these neighbors’ needs. Every day in our prepared meals center, we create thousands of nutritious, scratch-made meals comprised of lean proteins, whole grains and vegetables, foods that support the wellbeing of neighbors with health issues such as high blood pressure or diabetes. We also have a fleet of delivery vehicles and a team of drivers and volunteers who ensure the meals reach our neighbors safely.
Most importantly, delivering meals to neighbors supports our new strategic initiative to ensure emergency food access to all in need. We look forward to building on what we learn from the program so we can expand our work, reaching more older adults and neighbors with disabilities to ensure access to needed nutrition.
Peace of mind for caregivers
Jim Connelly receives peace of mind from the meals we deliver to his aunt, Patricia, 87, who was independent until a stroke in 2022 left her unstable on her feet and often relying on a wheelchair to get around.
Jim Connelly, right, opens the door for the volunteer driver delivering meals to his aunt Patricia.
When dehydration and under-nutrition led to Patricia’s hospitalization, Connelly signed her up to receive our meals. She’s remained sufficiently nourished ever since, he said, adding that Patricia also enjoys interacting with her delivery driver.
“This has allowed her, with social support and assistance, to remain in her home and be semi-independent, which is good for both her physical and mental health,” Connelly said. “Every day she goes to the fridge (to get a meal) and feels touched that an organization cares. She’s grateful.”
Patricia Connelly Mitchell appreciates that the delivered meals help her stay in her home.
Ramona Morgan wasn’t sure how her 88-year-old mother, with whom she shares a name and a home, would respond to the delivered meals. “She can be a bit of a picky eater. But she’s been cleaning her plate with all of them,” Morgan said. She also appreciates that the meals fit within the medical needs of her mom, who has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and dementia.
“The team that makes the meals delivered to my mom are a Godsend. The impact that (the meal delivery program) is now making on the community and my mom is important.”
Driven to serve
Thomas LeClair, one of our volunteer meal delivery drivers, is a big fan of the program as well. Every week he drives a regular route in the South Suburbs, dropping off meals to older adults and building lasting bonds with the neighbors he visits.
“Sometimes we’re the only people they see all day,” said LeClair, who began volunteering as a driver after his 2019 retirement from 38 years in the nonprofit field.
“It’s not just about food, it’s about making sure people feel cared for.”
The consistency of the program means drivers and recipients get to know one another. For many older adults facing isolation, the conversation at the door is as meaningful as the meal itself.
Thomas LeClair in the Food Depository warehouse preparing to deliver meals.
Since starting, LeClair has spent nearly 900 hours delivering food. “It keeps me tied to the city I love: Chicago,” he said. “I think it’s the best way to spend retirement. I get to meet beautiful people and have a lot of fun.”
Cornelius and Teresa Hendricks, both meal recipients in their 80s, appreciate the effort. After decades of working at federal government office and a VA hospital respectively, they now suffer “various ailments” that make getting groceries and making meals a challenge.
“The meals come in handy. We both enjoy them,” Cornelius said. “I’m so grateful.”
The Food Depository needs more volunteers to deliver meals, bringing nourishment and companionship straight to a neighbor’s doorstep. Visit chicagosfoodbank.org/volunteer.
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