Claudia Erickson

We found it didn't," said Claudia Erickson, director of nutrition and social services at the Suburban Area Agency on Aging, the program's co-sponsor.

In neighboring Will County, the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Kankakee runs nutrition programs.

Great Plates was started in 1998 as an experiment to expand on government-funded meals for seniors, she said.

Nationally and in the suburbs, meals served at senior nutrition sites were plummeting.Markham watched its numbers drop from 21,094 in 1989 to 7,191 in 1998.

"We tried to decide what we could do to increase participation and be true to our intent," Erickson said.

The agency's goal is to provide inexpensive and nutritionally balanced meals, social activities and educational opportunities for low-income and minority seniors in accordance with the Older Americans Act.Seniors of any means or race are welcome if they or their spouses are older than 60, said Markham's site director, Lerotha Russell.

The Markham Golden Age Chateau is located off 159th Street on Homan Avenue in Markham.The center is located in a closed grade school that has seen better times.

We found it didn't," said Claudia Erickson, director of nutrition and social services at the Suburban Area Agency on Aging, the program's co-sponsor.In neighboring Will County, the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Kankakee runs nutrition programs.

Great Plates was started in 1998 as an experiment to expand on government-funded meals for seniors, Erickson said.

Nationally and in the suburbs, meals served at senior nutrition sites were plummeting.Markham watched its numbers drop from 21,094 in 1989 to 7,191 by 1998.

"We tried to decide what we could do to increase participation and be true to our intent," Erickson said.

The agency's goal is to provide inexpensive and nutritionally-balanced meals, social activities and educational opportunities to low-income and minority seniors in accordance with the Older Americans Act.However, seniors of any means or race are welcome to participate if they are over 60 or have a spouse of that age, said Markham's site director Lerotha Russell.

The Markham Golden Age Chateau is located on Homan Avenue, a narrow street off of 159th in Markham.The center is located in a closed grade school that has seen better times.