Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois is a powerhouse movement of neighbors volunteering to deliver fresh, healthy and delicious meals to those who are unable to prepare their own food at home. We serve not only senior citizens with our popular meals but also people with physical or cognitive disabilities and those who need help during a specific medical situation like recovering from surgery.

We also provide meal support for seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling to pay for housing, medicine, and food. In fact, we help more than 60% of our clients with reduced fees for our services.

We take our commitment as the premier provider of nourishment and support services to the community seriously. Our focus is on the health, well-being, and independence of our clients.

Back in 1968, the CEDA (Community and Economic Development Association) and a group of citizens of Cook County, Illinois noticed that many Evanston seniors were at risk of malnutrition because they were not able to cook or buy their own meals. This concerned group decided to do something about it, so they approached Sister Mary Alfreda Bracht, Chief Executive Officer of Saint Francis Hospital. She worked with the hospital’s kitchen to prepare meals that could be delivered to these seniors at home.

Volunteers were recruited, delivery routes were laid out, and Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois was born. The first deliveries went out in October 1968. Over the years, more residents and counties expressed the need for these prepared meal services. As our service area grew, so did the amount of volunteers we needed. From Wilmette to Winthrop Harbor and Lake Forest to Lincolnshire, our momentum just keeps growing.

John B.

John B. always greets you with a smile and a story from his fascinating life. He’s has had his own TV show on public access television, he’s traveled the country as a truck driver, and he’s done community service work with his local church for many years. But he says one of the most fulfilling jobs he ever had was working in the Chicago area with former prisoners to help with their reentry into regular life.

As a member of the Meals at Home Board of Directors, John is still active in his church today and enjoys spending time with his 21 grandchildren.

Rosamund B.

Rosamund B. is 87 years old and lives in Wilmette. A loving mother to two daughters and a son, Rosamund was raised Jewish but has been practicing the Baha’i faith since the 1970s. She has taught others about her faith while on an excursion to Japan and has even been on a pilgrimage to Israel.

Rosamund is an extremely accomplished pianist who has been playing the piano since she was five years old. Passionate about performing, she has performed in many recitals and concerts and never got stage fright. She also composes her own music and has five CDs. She taught piano for 35 years. She says that she goes to a “different world” when she plays the piano and describes the feeling as “joy and exaltation.” Rosamund had a lifelong dream fulfilled when her music was played on WFMT on March 31, 2018.

Yusef A.

Yusuf A. was born in Chicago and now resides in Evanston. Born as Freddie, he changed his name to Yusuf when he became Muslim. Although he converted back to Christianity later, he kept his name Yusuf.

Yusuf believes in treating others with kindness and respect. He is a generous person who enjoys listening and helping others. He says that ”listening is sometimes more important than talking.”

Yusuf believes in a higher power and is proud of the fact that he is no longer addicted to alcohol. He believes that “today is an opportunity to wake up and try to do better than yesterday.”

Yusuf speaks very highly about his experience with Meals on Wheels and says that the “volunteers who come are very friendly and I look forward to them coming as they could be doing something else.” He goes on to say that “Meals on Wheels makes my life much better; without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am in my recovery.”

Joe y.

Joe Y. was born in East Chicago. He later lived in Griffin, Ind. until the age of 18 when he joined the Navy in 1969. He also served in the Marine Corps from 1980-1987.

Joe was born and raised Catholic. He enjoys studying the Bible and says he has, “Gotten close to God to stay alive.” Joe says the happiest time of his life was when his son was born. He is also very proud to be a grandfather to three children with fourth one on the way. Another wonderful part of Joe’s life is his dog, Bowie. Bowie is a Black Labrador rescue dog that Joe absolutely adores.

Joe appreciates the assistance he has received from Meals on Wheels and says that, “All the people are nice and they even bring treats for Bowie!”

Lois M.

Lois M., the youngest of six children, was born on the south side of Chicago. She moved to Evanston when she was a teenager and attended Evanston Township High School.  

Lois loves talking to people and making others happy. One of her favorite volunteer experiences was at the children’s unit at the University of Chicago Hospital. For the past year, Lois has been working as a recruiter for a field work research time and she really enjoys it.  She also loves to go to church, work out at the Y, and knitting.

But as much as Lois loves being around others and getting out, she struggles with rheumatoid arthritis and bipolar disorder. She has been a Meals on Wheels client for 17 years, and it really helps her manage day to day life. Lois’ favorite memories are of traveling to Paris and London with her sister, and she hopes to continue her travels in the future.

Deborah has displayed a passion for nonprofit management throughout her career. Before joining MWNEI she worked as the Executive Director of Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County, Wisconsin, where she grew a start-up non-profit into a network of volunteers serving more than 1,200 seniors a year with transportation, food services, and other chores like shoveling snow. Prior to her work at Interfaith, she held director and development positions with the American Heart Association, worked in Health and Safety with the American Red Cross, and held CEO and manager positions in the for-profit sector.

Now with Meals on Wheels on Northeastern Illinois, Deborah has grown the organization into a community powerhouse. Boasting a volunteer base of more than 800 who distribute daily meals made in the organization’s first meal production facility, MWNEI has become the organization others rely on when disaster strikes or when our community’s treasured older adults need fully prepared home delivered or congregate meals.

Niki brings significant experience in fundraising working in the past for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Her most recent experience includes over a decade as Director of Development for Center for Independent Futures. While at CIF, NIki built relationships with participants, families, funders, foundations and corporate sponsors resulting in noteable results in fundraising. Prior to CIF, Niki spent a decade at The Disney Company in a variety of roles.

Relationship building and passion for the mission of supporting the elderly and individuals with disabilities is what energizes Niki and excites her to join the Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois team. Niki’s primary responsibilities include planning and orchestrating the annual gala, building the donor base, increasing Major Donors along with building awareness of the important work MWNEI does. Niki recognizes firsthand the importance of nourishing and tasty meals delivered to the elderly, homebound and those with disabilities in the comfort of their home and knows this work is more than a meal, it is a health check and friendly smile to many that would not otherwise see anyone during the day. Niki is passionate about healthy eating and so MWNEI is the perfect match.

Niki received her BA from Eastern Illinois University and continued studies at Northwestern University, receiving her Master Scholar Certification in Strategic Leadership in the nonprofit  sector in 2020.

Niki loves living in Evanston with her three children and dog Brady. When not working, NIki enjoys the lakefront, biking, reading, cooking  and spending time with family and friends. Niki’s super power is Pilates!

Sam Landman learned to cook at the side of a master chef from Johnson and Wales University culinary school. Sam comes to MWNEI with more than a decade of experience in the senior healthcare field. He has been involved in everything food service related from menu engineering and cooking to budget and inventory control. He most recently led food service efforts at Bridgeway Senior Living in Bensenville, IL, was chef at Park Plaza Retirement Center in Chicago, and executive kosher chef for Aramark at the University of Chicago.

Don was MWNEI’s Client Coordinator from 2017 to 2019. He took an extended break to earn his Master’s degree from Northwestern University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. During his work in the mental health field, he conducted individual and group therapy, did case management, program coordination, program development, private practice development, and insurance claim filing. Mr. Tinsley  also worked at Lurie Children's Hospital. At MWNEI, he was Client Coordinator in charge of client recruitment, intake, onboarding, and community support services. He is happy to be back as the Program Director.

Ann Brennan is a nonprofit manager specializing in senior services. Over her career, she's consistently driven initiatives that boost organizational growth and foster meaningful connections with stakeholders. These initiatives highlight her skill in forging innovative community partnerships and collaboration with leading institutions. Deeply committed to community service, Ann's volunteer roles span from outreach programs in Vietnam to board memberships, reflecting her genuine dedication to creating lasting impact.

A Chicago native, Ann has lived across various parts of the U.S. and overseas but found her way back to the Windy City nine years ago. In her free time, Ann enjoys being with family, kayaking, traveling, and relaxing at the beach.

As the one of the newest Meals on Wheels NE IL team member, Ann looks forward to leveraging her experience and fervor for community service to further the organization's mission.

Alona has been working with volunteer management for the past three years. Alona graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020, where she studied Russian, International Studies, and Translation. Outside of her major, she was heavily involved with the community, where she held leadership roles at UI Students for Human rights and at the Iowa United Nations Association. After college, she completed an Americorps VISTA role where her primary goal was to increase access to food resources for low-income seniors through Meals on Wheels. Once she finished her VISTA year, she returned to Chicago and worked as the Volunteer Coordinator at A Safe Haven Foundation, and grew their volunteer base and corporate partnerships. She is excited to expand the volunteer base at Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois.

Amber Rodriguez brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, dating back to her high school years. Her dedication has been particularly notable during her tenure with OneGoal, where she transitioned from a program participant to serving as a valued member of the Chicago Board of Directors for an impressive two years. Amber has a strong background in legal and administrative roles, including positions as a PA, paralegal, and intake coordinator. Her enthusiasm for this role is palpable, and she looks forward to contributing her expertise to the organization.