Donors and Supporters Attend 40th Anniversary Luncheon of The Salvation Army Golden Diners

Volunteers and donors gathered for The Salvation Army Golden Diners 40th Anniversary luncheon on October 23 at the West Dundee VFW. The invite-only event celebrated the dedicated volunteers, donors and introduced the new appointed program director, Kenneth Madden.

Since 1974, The Salvation Army Golden Diners Senior Nutrition program has been serving and delivering nutritious meals to area seniors. With more than 4,000 seniors participating and up to 170,000 meals served annually, the Golden Diners program continues to provide a critical service to the elderly in McHenry and Kane counties.

In addition to delivering hot meals and daily wellness checks for homebound seniors, the Golden Diners program operates communal meal sites for seniors who can travel, where they can socialize with other seniors. In the past 40 years, the program has grown to 11 sites—5 in Kane County and 6 in McHenry.

Meals are free for low-income seniors who qualify. Seniors may make a voluntary donation toward their meal cost based on their financial means. It is the mission of the Golden Diners program that any senior can partake in a meal, whether or not they are able to contribute. State and Federal funding makes up about 45 percent of the necessary funds for Golden Diners. The remainder is provided by The Salvation Army, local townships, the United Way, private donations and seniors contributions.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary, The Golden Diners leadership is putting out a special call to the McHenry and Kane county communities for volunteers and donations. For more information on The Golden Diners Senior Nutrition Program, call (630)232-6676 or visit www.salarmychicago.org/goldendiners.