Do You Need Meals on Wheels?

Helping Seniors

Meals on Wheels Chicago embraces our city’s senior community and is committed to ensuring those who choose to age in-place, do so with dignity and the resources necessary to maintain an excellent quality of life. To accomplish this, MOWC partners with The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services to ensure older Chicagoans benefit from a variety of programs designed to address the diverse needs and interests of all those who live here.

The Meals on Wheels program helps homebound seniors age 60 or older. If you are interested in learning more about the program or getting enrolled, please contact Information and Assessment directly at 312-744-4016.

Helping Individuals with Disabilities

Chicago is home to over 600,000 individuals with disabilities. Meals on Wheels Chicago embraces the unique challenges that many experience in their own homes and are committed to supporting efforts to improve accessibility and independence. MOWC partners with the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), whose mission is to promote total access, full participation, and equal opportunity through advocacy and direct services.

If you are interested in learning more about these programs or getting enrolled, please contact our partners a the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) at: 312-744-6673.

Programs We Fund

Holiday Meals Program: The Holiday Meals Delivery Program for Chicago’s Senior Citizens addresses unmet nutritional needs on six federal holidays, delivering meals to homebound seniors over the age of 60. In doing so, MOWC provides clients with nutrition and a greater measure of independence to help stabilize their home environments. Each year, MOWC funds the delivery of over 74,000 meals on the six federal holidays to an average of 6,200 clients per day. 

Home Delivered Meals for Individuals with Disabilities: For individuals with disabilities under the age of 60, the HDMID program offers in-home weekday meal service for those challenged by the preparation of meals in addition to meals delivered on the six federal holidays.

The 2019 Dr. M Cherif Bassiouni Emergency Meals Fund: When budget allows, Meals on Wheels Chicago provides funding for emergency, shelf-stable meals. These are delivered to HMP and HDMID clients to serve as back-up meals if regular delivery service is interrupted by extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances. This year, MOWC will provide 5 days of shelf-stable meals to approximately 6,200 clients – a total of 62,000 meals. We were able to fund this program using a generous bequest made by Dr. M Cherif Bassiouni, and we are proud to name the program for him this year. 

Congregate Senior Meal Program: This program supplements the City of Chicago’s congregate lunches at the six main senior centers and the smaller satellite locations, where approximately 30,000 seniors are fed each year. For many seniors, this lunch may be their only meal of the day and their only social interaction. The goals of the CSMP are to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to corporations and other organizations as well as serving lunch and providing a social activity for seniors (such as Bingo). Corporations also provide funding for an additional take-home meal for later that evening.