Submitted by Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois
Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois (MWNEI) has announced its annual gala will return to Double Clutch Brewery in Evanston on Friday, May 5. Tickets are available for $125 at MealsOnWheelsNEI.org. Double Clutch is located at 2121 Ashland Ave.
“This is our biggest single event of the year to celebrate our volunteers, fortify our organization, and refuel our efforts to serve those in need,” says MWNEI Executive Director Deborah Morganfield. “That need continues to grow for us, not only in number but in geography.
“Our goal is to match 2022 in raising $130,000, while celebrating our growth and accomplishments,” adds Morganfield.
MWNEI experienced growth in the wake of an intense fire in January at Midway-area business Georgis Catering. MWNEI answered the call to provide meals to hundreds of additional homebound adults in need, nearly doubling the number of meals it produced each day. MWNEI will continue providing for programs in areas west of Chicago who found themselves without a food provider.
This important fundraiser will be a celebration of the volunteers who coordinate, pack, and deliver every day and will include a presentation of the Barbara LaVoy and Elisabeth McHugh awards.
The Barbara Lavoy Lifetime Achievement Award honors Ms. Lavoy who was an Evanston school teacher and dedicated, long-time volunteer. When she passed, she left a gift for Meals at Home. Volunteer Janet Lutz earned the award last year.
The Elisabeth McHugh Volunteer of the Year Award honors Board Member Mike McHugh’s late wife with whom he delivered meals on Saturdays. It was their time together away from kids and work obligations. Mike often talks about “Liz” taking food to clients while he waited – for quite some time – for her to finish her visit with each person. She would bake treats and take other little extra things that would brighten their day. Last year, Michael Tufano received the inaugural award.
About Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois
Meals on Wheels Northeastern Illinois is based in Evanston, Ill., and was organized as Meals at Home. The first deliveries were made in October 1968 to residents of Evanston and nearby Chicago. The organization’s deliveries eventually expanded north to the Wisconsin border and now includes Evanston, Antioch, Beach Park, Buffalo Grove, Burbank, Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Grayslake, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Hainesville, Hawthorn Woods, Highland Park, Indian Creek, Kenilworth, Kildeer, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood, Maywood, Mettawa, Morton Grove, Melrose Park, Mundelein, Niles, North Chicago, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie, Stickney, Vernon Hills, Volo, Wadsworth, Waukegan, Wells Corners, Wheeling, Wilmette, Winnetka, Winthrop Harbor and Zion.
Learn more at MealsonWheelsNEI.org.