“Real napkins and real people” have kept Janice Roth, 80, of Grayslake coming back to Catholic Charities senior community meals in Lake County over the last four years.
“Where else can you get a full meal with ham, rice, mixed vegetables, salad, and dessert, for $7?” she said, adding, “Plus, it’s fun coming here, and you always feel welcome.”
For more than three decades, Catholic Charities has been serving hot meals in community gathering places for adults ages 60 and older. These senior community meals provide opportunities for socialization, activity, and resources on healthy aging so seniors can remain independent and connected. Meals are offered across Lake County at eight partner sites. In June, longtime Catholic Charities partner Maravela’s Banquet Hall & Catering in Fox Lake hosted a luau, complete with a Hawaiian menu and artificial flower leis for the more than 150 guests.
Making Connections
Lack of social contact and isolation are not uncommon for older adults who live alone. According to a University of Michigan 2023 National Poll on Healthy Aging, one in three adults ages 50 to 80 reported feeling isolated from others, feeling a lack of companionship in the last year, and having a lack of contact with people outside of their home, sometimes only once a week. Catholic Charities identified this need for accompaniment and introduced the community meals to further support older adults so they can age with dignity.
“I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have this to come to,” said Janice Sinkovec, 92, who joins Janice Roth and other friends twice a month at Maravela’s. “I really look forward to it and the food is so good.”
Even though the friends see each other weekly, they still make it a priority to coordinate rides to these luncheons so all can attend.
“It’s important to rub elbows here because it’s a different environment and you see other people,” Janice Roth said. “I can’t even tell you how gratifying it is that you can talk to anybody in the room, and most people will talk back to you.”
Twins Keith and Kenneth Prible, 72, of Antioch, have been coming to senior community meals since they retired at age 55.
“You lose a whole network of friends when you leave work,” Keith said, adding they now know about 80% of the luncheon guests each month. “When seniors get together, we hear about more events and more social gatherings we can attend. You meet people, you connect with people.”
The Prible brothers said they enjoy the socializing and great food, plus the themes are fun. They’re looking forward to the next country-western event and are hoping for a disco theme in the future.
Gerry Cushing, 83, of Antioch, has been volunteering at the meals for the last nine years.
“I like the socialization and the people,” said Gerry, who met her fiancé, John Schintgen, at a Catholic Charities Leap Year Dance in 2016 at Maravela’s Banquet Hall & Catering in Fox Lake. “It’s always fun, you’re always meeting someone new, learning something new. Sometimes, you put a smile on the face of someone who isn’t smiling.”
Lake County Senior Community Meals
Mondays, 11 a.m., Island Lake Cafe, 310 E. State Road, Island Lake; and 12:00 p.m. bi-weekly at the Patricia A. Jones Center, 414 S. Lewis Ave., Waukegan
Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m. bi-weekly Foss Park District, 1730 Lewis Ave., North Chicago
Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m., Hanul Family Alliance, 2900 N. Main St., Buffalo Grove
Thursdays, 12:00 p.m. Schreiber Center, 101 N. Cedar Lake Road, Round Lake
Monthly, Maravela’s Banquet Hall & Catering, 4 Washington St., Fox Lake
Monthly, Lamb’s Farm, 14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville
For more information and to make reservations, call (847) 782-4170.