Early Monday morning, Bill Fitzgerald, a Palos Heights resident, loaded his car with trays of lemon chicken, rice pilaf and vegetables — meals he would hand to dozens of familiar faces, some of which he has known for more than two years.
Fitzgerald, along with nearly 60 other volunteers, deliver these meals weekly to more than 637 homebound older adults who struggle to cook on their own in Palos, Orland, Worth and Lemont townships as part of Pathlights home-delivered meals program and in partnership with Meals on Wheels for Northern Illinois.
But these are not just meals, said Lily Becker, a Pathlights senior manager who oversees the program, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Volunteers check on the clients’ well being and keep social workers updated, increasing the frequency of these checks from a few times a year to three times a week, she said.
In some cases, volunteers called emergency services after discovering their client had fallen. In other cases, volunteers ensure their client has heat in cold months, Becker said.
“Many of them don’t have family in the area or like anyone really checking up on them, so it’s nice to have a friendly face,” Becker said.
But she said as the need for this program increases, the funding for the program is dwindling. She said as larger populations are aging, especially the Baby Boomers, the need for these services could increase.
“Even if someone is 65, and they don’t need our services now, maybe in 10 years they might,” she said. “There’s always a time period where you might need this.”
Becker said government funding for the home-delivered meals program was reduced by 7% in 2026, and Pathlights staff anticipate additional decreases next year.
The program is funded through a combination of 67% state funding and 18% federal funding, according to Becker.
That state funding comes from a line item titled “home-delivered meals” in the Illinois Department of Aging budget. Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in February to maintain that funding at $63 million for this coming budget year, but advocates are pushing for more, Becker said.
Becker also said cuts to federal programs such as the Administration for Community Living, Adult Protective Services and Meals on Wheels has also caused a lot of funding uncertainty.
Funding cuts are not new, she said, but they are increasing. She said Pathlights discontinued a program that delivered weekend meals a few years ago, despite clients expressing a need.
“There’s always talk around funding, but there’s been especially more in the last year and this year about what the next few years will really look like,” she said.
Becker said the program meets a lot of needs where older adults are lower income and homebound but want to keep their independence.
She said some clients have trouble getting to the store and shopping, could not renew their driver’s license, can’t drive safely anymore or just cannot stand up long enough to make a meal.
This only exacerbates food insecurity struggles in the area, she said.
Other barriers to having home-cooked, nutritious food could include lack of motivation, medications or losing the sense of taste or smell that may lead to apathy about food.
Becker said despite these hardships, many older adults want to stay in their homes, and these meals help them do so safely. She referenced a 2026 Pew Research Center study that said about 93% of adults over the age of 65 in the U.S. live in their own homes.
“Maybe they can’t physically cook anymore or can’t stand and they use a walker, so it’s really hard,” she said. “Providing that meal helps them maintain their independence ultimately, and they can stay in the community for as long as they can.”
These meals, she said, ensure more than 600 older adults get at least five nutritious meals a week with protein, vitamins, milk, vegetables and fruit.
There are 381 clients who receive meals in Worth township, 43 in Lemont, 170 in Palos and Orland townships, totaling to 3,185 meals delivered a week, Becker said.
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Two meals are delivered on Monday and Wednesday, one hot and one frozen which is meant to warm up and eat the next day, Becker said. A hot meal is delivered each Friday, according to Becker.
Each meal includes about 20 grams of protein, 43 grams of carbohydrates and about 10 grams of fiber, according to a Pathlights statement. The meals also have fewer than 800 milligrams of sodium, fewer than 26 grams of fat and supply at least one-third of the recommended daily intake of vitamins.
The meals can also be adjusted for dietary restrictions, and special menus are often offered around the holidays, Becker said.
Becker said generally adults over age 60 who are homebound, don’t drive or have some sort of critical need can qualify for this service.
She also said the meals can temporarily serve clients after a hospitalization or through a home health care agency.
“Sometimes family members are calling us to find help for their loved one and we talk about meals as part of that assistance,” Becker said.
Fitzgerald, the volunteer, said he has seen a lot of gratitude for these meals in his three years delivering meals to an everchanging, wide variety of people.
“There’s just a lot of people who need help, who need the food, and they’re very thankful,” he said.
Becker said people can find services in their area on the AgeOptions website.