Giving something to be Thankful for

Thanksgiving is around the corner which means spending time with family, and eating all sorts of food like turkey, pumpkin pie, and mashed potatoes. But there are still people in Elmhurst who don’t get the chance to enjoy a warm meal on Thanksgiving.  To help those less fortunate, there are several volunteering places in and around Elmhurst.

As the oldest nutrition program in the country, the Meals on Wheels Association of America provides the opportunity for volunteers to pack food and deliver it to senior citizens who are unable to prepare their own food.

“With more people joining the Meals on Wheels program, we are able to feed 1,200-1,300 senior citizens, which means we prepare over 244,000 meals.  Even though people who volunteer don’t get paid, they do get the satisfaction of helping someone, and they even get to spend time with the seniors they’ve helped,” said Cathy Ficker, one of the Meals on Wheels leaders.

There are many MOWAA locations in DuPage County.  With the numerous volunteering roles, people of any ability level can volunteer.

Places such as the DuPage Senior Citizens Council allow people to assist seniors with their yard work.  Volunteers can also work with meal serving or even delivering meals.  Unfortunately some seniors don’t get enough human contact in a day, so these visits from volunteers help more than just refilling their refrigerators.  Throughout the month of December there are Senior Wellness Days which are great volunteering opportunities.  Since the programs are based in DuPage County, the locations aren’t too far away from home.

Feed My Starving Children is a popular charity.  Here people of any age can make food that is dispersed to hungry people around the world.  I’ve volunteered here a few times – the environment is friendly, and the people are so helpful for new-comers.  FMSC sends food to countries around the world, from Afghanistan to Ethiopia to Mexico.  Packing locations in Illinois are in Aurora and Schaumburg.  It’s a bit of a drive, but the experience is unforgettable and for an efficient cause.  (Just mind your food allergies as you will be handling and packing food as a volunteer.)

For more information on Meals on Wheels visit www.mowaa.org; for the DuPage Senior Citizens Council: www.dupageseniorcouncil.org; for Feed My Starving Children: www.fmsc.org.

There are numerous volunteering opportunities, probably some very close to you that you don’t even know about.  So keep your eyes and your heart open this season.  Help give families something wonderful to be thankful for.