Volunteers rolled with the punches and made adjustments on the fly Thursday, and Karen Tobin was helping to run interference, make calls and keep everyone on track.

Their mission on Thanksgiving Day was to deliver 160 hot dinners to senior and disabled residents across McHenry County. Sometimes, volunteers knocking on doors would discover a senior had been hospitalized, or simply was not at home, and they had extra meals to get into another senior’s hands.

Tobin was the person the 21 volunteers called when things didn’t go to plan. In the weeks leading up to the dinner, she organized the day.

“For Thanksgiving Day, after we find out who would like a meal, I separate them into groups, and a two-mile radius from the restaurants,” Tobin said. “They are going to go to them from the restaurant that is the closest.”

The meals – turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, a vegetable, bread roll and pie – were purchased from Around the Clock in Crystal Lake, Busy Bee in Wonder Lake, Kelley’s Family Restaurant in Harvard and 3 Brothers Restaurant in Woodstock.

Tobin is the friendly visiting coordinator at Senior Services Associates Inc. of McHenry County. But coordinating the holiday meal is not part of her job, or even that of Senior Services. They do it, Tobin said, because there are seniors in the community who need a little human interaction on the holiday.

Amie Eguizabal, of Wonder Lake, works her connections – family and friends – to fundraise to purchase the meals and later to buy holiday presents for the seniors, too.

Eguizabal works in senior living for a home health company. She said she saw the need not only for holiday meals, but for some elderly residents who may otherwise not have someone to share their Thanksgiving with. She networked with her Facebook connections and other friends and this year raised $3,200 for the meals.

“That doesn’t seem like a lot, but that is a lot of money to raise near the holidays,” Eguizabal said, adding that she is not done with fundraising for the holiday season. “Those same 160 people will get their Christmas list.”

Many area programs ensure children have toys to open for Christmas, but little for the elderly, she said. She said some residents often don’t have family nearby and need things like new linens, a replacement toaster or coffeemaker, or a pair of pajamas.

“They are getting necessities like towels, sheets or a new coat and hat,” Eguizabal said. “They have worked their whole lives and have no family left. They deserve a Christmas present, in my opinion.”

Kay Sutherland, volunteer coordinator at Senior Services, is also coordinating the Christmas wish lists, buying the presents, and getting them delivered. Donations still are needed and can either be sent via check to Senior Services, attention Kay Sutherland, 6519 N. Richmond Road, McHenry, IL 60051, or via the website, seniorservicesassoc.org. Donors should indicate which program the donation is meant for.

“We rely on donations from the community,” Sutherland said of the gift program. She and other volunteers will be out on Black Friday to get deals on the gifts seniors asked for.

One woman told her she needed shoes, but for her car. That is one thing they can’t help with, Sutherland said, because of the limited budget. She will then help to connect seniors with programs that can help, like the townships’ general or emergency aid programs.

“We will find a resource for them,” Sutherland said.

Lynne Adema is one of those who got a home-delivered Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. Had she not gotten it from the volunteer programs, “I probably would have cooked a chicken breast – nothing special," said Adema, who is blind.

She said she was most looking forward to the pie, the stuffing and the potatoes.

“OK, I am looking forward to all of it,” Adema said with a laugh.

Down the hall, Nanette LaCroix, 69, said she planned to eat her dinner with friends in the common room at their Crystal Lake senior apartments. She’s active in her building and at the senior center.

“I love the senior center,” LaCroix said. She goes to workout classes there, and encourages other residents who need more socialization to check it out, too. “I have two more support groups” because of the friends she’s made there, she said.