DuPage County Senior Citizens Council seeks volunteers to feed seniors in need
LOMBARD, Ill. (CBS) -- DuPage County is looking for help to deliver meals to area seniors.
About 17 percent of the county's residents are over the age of 65 – and that number is growing.
The DuPage County Senior Citizens Council invited CBS 2's Sara Machi into the passenger seat to show us what's driving their search for more volunteers.
Join the drive-thru line at the council office, and you'll find a different kind of fast food – with volunteers giving the orders.
Each car is loaded up with dozens of shelf-stable meals in boxes, each of which is headed to an area senior at their home.
The organization really started to ramp up their meal delivery services during COVID and saw an immediate 40 percent jump in the need. A number that has not come down.
DSCC serves about 7,000 seniors in DuPage and Kane Counties with a roster of 1,800 volunteers - including one we met named Mike Wachholz, whom the council calls one of their most dedicated.
"That's very nice to hear that for sure," Wachholz said.
The volunteers are also a source of socialization.
"A lot of those homebound seniors - the only person they see for that day, or for that week, is the volunteer who is delivering," said volunteer manager Ann-Margaret Luciano.
As Wachholz makes his deliveries, the route includes a drop-off to Harriet Dunne - who didn't want to be on camera.
"I can't cook, so that helps to get a nice meal once in a while," Dunne said. "But it's nice, nice to see people.
Wachholz says this program does more than bring food to seniors ...
"It's just a great opportunity to give back to the community; you know, to pay it forward as they say, for sure," he said.
It fills stomachs and feeds hearts.
You can find out how to volunteer for DuPage Senior Citizens Council at this link.
