NISC Programs of Excellence 

• Year Awarded: 2025
• Programs of Excellence Name: Food, Fun, and Friendship
• Hosting Organization: Oak Park Township, Illinois
• Oak Park Township Population: 52,055
• 60+ Population: 12,447
• Senior Center Members: 888

About Bridging Generations and Preserving Memories through Virtual Reality

In 2024, Oak Park Township partnered Beyond Hunger, a community organization and food pantry, to offer a private cooking class to seniors from the Oak Park Township Senior Services Center. This class, led by registered dietitian and chef Maria Delis from Beyond Hunger, aimed to empower seniors with practical cooking skills and nutrition knowledge.

During the class, Maria taught participants essential knife skills, focusing on how to properly cut various vegetables and meats. She also shared helpful tips for increasing efficiency and fostering greater independence in the kitchen. Many participants expressed newfound confidence in theircooking abilities after the session.

Following the cooking demonstration, Maria provided valuable guidance on how to properly read nutrition labels, emphasizing the importance of making informed choices when grocery shopping. She shared strategies for getting the most nutritional value for their money, ensuring that older adults could make sound, budget-conscious decisions when purchasing food. Throughout the session, Maria fostered an open environment, encouraging participants to ask questions and engage with the content.

This program addressed a critical need in the community: helping older adults build the skills necessary for maintaining healthy, independent lives. It was particularly beneficial in a time when seniors are often faced with rising food prices and navigating complex nutritional information.

A unique aspect of the program was the collaboration between Oak Park Township and Beyond Hunger, which allowed for an impactful partnership combining nutrition education with hands-on learning. The class also provided an opportunity for seniors to connect with peers, creating a sense ofcommunity and shared purpose.

In addition to benefiting the older adults who attended, the program strengthened Oak Park Township’s partnerships with local organizations. The success of this program demonstrates its potential to be replicated by other senior centers seeking to provide similar value to their communities. By offering both nutrition education and practical culinary skills, the program made a lasting impact on the participants' health and overall quality of life.

Finally, hosting the demonstration at the local food pantry demystifies the staff, location, and environment of the local food pantry allowing familiarity if the participants ever need to seek services, would like to offer assistance as a volunteer, or make donations at the pantry in the future.

Key takeaways from Food, Fun, and Friendship:

• The program empowered older adults to feel more confident in the kitchen and gain greater independence when preparing meals.
• Participants gained valuable insights into reading nutrition labels and shopping smart on a budget.
• While the local food pantry provided the site, staff, volunteers, food, and cooking supplies; Oak Park Township Senior Services Center provided promotion of the program, recruitment of participants, transportation to the food pantry and staff chaperones. Local partnerships like this allow the Senior Services Center to provide no-cost programming that is beneficial, informational, and socially engaging to the community.

About Oak Park Township Senior and Disability Services

Oak Park Township Senior & Disability Services offers a broad continuum of supportive services in order to promote independence of older adults in the community. Services include food and nutrition, socialization and activities, transportation, care coordination, and caregiver support.