Richard Horwood receiving the Austin Fleming Distinguished Service Award from the Chicago Estate Planning Council (CEPC).

Meet Richard Horwood – 30 Faces of Meals on Wheels Chicago

As part of our 30 Faces of Meals on Wheels Chicago series to celebrate our 30th year, we are looking back to those people that have been an integral part of building MOWC.  We recently sat down with former board member Richard Horwood, Partner at Horwood Marcus & Berk.

“About 20 years ago, I was invited to join the Celebrity Chef event committee. Back then, it was only a brunch, and the committee was hands-on: setting up tables, working the event, and so on. Afterwards, I was asked to be on the board, and I succeeded Bill Kaplan as board chair. 

What attracted me then – and still attracts me now – to Meals on Wheels Chicago’s mission is that our programs allow seniors and people with disabilities to live independently.  It is much more than a nutritious meal. It is a chance for a lonely person to be greeted at their doorstep with a smiling and caring face – to speak with someone who cares.  Those who deliver the meals also perform wellness checks to make sure the person receiving our meals is not only well-fed but is also healthy and living in good conditions.  Often, it is the drivers of Meals on Wheels Chicago who are the first to notice when an individual needs help and contacts city services to make sure that this elderly person or person with disabilities receives all the assistance that the city of Chicago can provide.

What also stands out to me about Meals on Wheels Chicago are the many generous chefs who give up time working in their restaurants to serve people at the Celebrity Chef Ball. Their outpouring of support is incredible and inspires me each time I attend.  Meals on Wheels Chicago is a community of care composed of city departments, Open Kitchens, donors and chefs.  All of us pull together to ensure our housebound and disabled neighbors live with dignity in their homes, and in their communities.”

Thank you Richard and everyone at Horwood Marcus & Berk for your past and continued support!

Please Save the Date for our 30th Annual Celebrity Chef Ball, November 9, 2018.