Citymeals-on-Wheels
| Formation | (1981) |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
| Website | Citymeals.org |
Citymeals on Wheels (alt. Citymeals) is Meals on Wheels-type nonprofit organization in New York City that raises private funds to ensure no homebound elderly New Yorker goes without food or human company.
Gael Greene and James Beard founded Citymeals on Wheels in 1981 after reading a newspaper article about homebound elderly New Yorkers with nothing to eat on weekends and holidays. They rallied their friends in the restaurant community, raising private funds as a supplement to the government-funded weekday meal delivery program.
What began in 1981 with a group of individuals and a public-private partnership serving Christmas dinner for 6,000 needy elderly at a cost of $35,000, is now an organization now underwriting 3 million meals annually, covering around 40% of the costs of all home-delivered meals in New York City, and it raises $17.5 million annually.
The current executive director is Beth Shapiro, who took over from founding director Marcia Stein in 2011.
Weekend Meals - Citymeals contracts with local meal centers to prepare and deliver nutritious meals on Saturdays and Sundays; government funding only covers meals Monday through Friday and not on holidays.
Holiday Meals - Citymeals funding allows government centers to remain open on holidays for those who are able to walk in and volunteers deliver meals to the homebound. Citymeals funds holiday meals for Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, New Year’s Day and Easter.
Holiday Food Boxes - When local meal centers close throughout the year for holiday observances, Citymeals will guarantee that homebound clients have food. Boxes of shelf-stable food and special treats such as canned tuna and chicken, shelf-stable milk, cookie, crackers and juices are provided. Citymeals provides holiday boxes for Labor Day, Season’s Greetings, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Passover, Memorial Day and Independence Day.
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