The Regional Kitchen for Independent Living:
A Project of REAL Services
Thank you to Allegiant Air,
Braveheart Fund of the Community Foundation of
St. Joseph County,
The Carris Foundation,
The City of South Bend,
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
The Garcia Family Foundation ,
The Matthew Frank Moore Foundation,
Milton Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County,
Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak,
The Schurz Communications Foundation,
Wells Fargo - Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust
Wells Fargo - Robert and Clara Charitable Trust for your Generous Donations!
December 2007 “The Meals on Wheels program was of great benefit to our grandfather. Not only did we not have to worry about how he would eat, he also benefited from the contact with delivery people. It gave him something to look forward to everyday and improved his quality of life” The Vermilion Family, Osceola, Indiana.
Serving the elderly and disabled now – and into the future
REAL Services provides an array of critical services to give older adults the choice and ability to stay in their homes. As a part of this responsibility, REAL Services provides a hot nutritious meal to older people once a day, five days a week, through programs such as Meals on Wheels and the Nutrition Program. Last year the program prepared and delivered 235,000 meals and served 4,400 elderly and disabled Hoosiers in five counties of northern Indiana.
The Meals Program has moved 13 times over the years. Moving so often has proven to be inefficient, expensive, and discouraging to our volunteers. In 2007, the REAL Board of Directors decided to purchase a building near its current structure at 1151 S. Michigan, South Bend, for a more permanent and efficient operation of its Meals Programs. The Board also authorized a fund raising campaign to pay for the building purchase and renovation.
The cost of the total project is approximately $1.3 million. We began our campaign on February 1, 2008. Many donors make a major gift pledged over a number of years, usually 3 to 5 years.
A History of Success
REAL Services was created in May of 1966 as part of the planning division of United Way. In 1967 REAL Services received the first federal grant in Indiana from the US Administration on Aging. In 1968, REAL Services designed the first program in the entire United States to provide meals and socialization. This program served as a model for the nationwide nutrition program.
Our agency has become a model for serving the aging with innovative ideas, service with integrity, competent management, ground-breaking practices and sound financial trust. in 1995 The Indiana Association of Homes for the Aged selected REAL Services to receive their Community Services Award. REAL was recognized with the 1996 Community Service Award from the Governor’s Voluntary Action Program. Also in 1996 the Hudson Institute presented REAL Services with the Blue Horizon Award for an Exemplary Program in the Category of Wellness. In May 1997 REAL Services was presented the 1997 Partners in Elder Care Award from AARP. In October of 2000, REAL Services was awarded “Best Practices” recognition by the Governor’s Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease for the development and expansion of respite services. The agency received the National Mature Media Award in 2003 for REAL Connections Magazine. The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County selected REAL Services as the 2003 winner of the Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence for 36 years of outstanding service, innovation and advocacy on behalf of older adults. In 2007, The Real Estate Management Association named REAL Services the Community Service Agency of the Year.
The Future is Now
According to the National Institute on Aging the U.S. population age 65 and over is expected to double in size within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1 out of every 5 Americans will be 65 or older, approximately 72 million people. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Changes in the American family have significant implications for future aging. Divorce, for example, is on the rise and some researchers suggest that fewer children and more stepchildren may change the availability of family support in the future.
These population trends will impact all of us individually and as a community, as well as nationally. Because we are anticipating decreased federal and state funding, REAL Services is looking to the community to help us meet the needs of our elders, both in funding and increased volunteerism.
Remember “A true test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.” ----Abraham Heschel - May our community be that gold mine. 
Meet Chester…….With the help of his daughter, and the Meals on Wheels Program, Chester continues to live in the same house that he has enjoyed living in for the last 56 years.
You can be a part of making this project a reality:
Donate to the Kitchen Campaign!