News Archive

On Tuesday, April 23, Dennis Riese, longtime Citymeals-on-Wheels Board Member and CEO of Riese Restaurants, hosted Citymeals’ annual volunteer recognition party.

On Sunday, April 7, Citymeals Board Vice President Chef Daniel Boulud celebrated the 20th anniversary of his restaurant, DANIEL, with a benefit for Citymeals-on-Wheels. “A Night with Daniel” was an intimate and exquisite Sunday dinner, attended by one hundred and seventy generous New Yorkers.

To kick off spring, Citymeals marked two important holidays by delivering special meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers.

This winter, New Yorkers had the opportunity to shop, dine, and donate to Citymeals at participating Riese Restaurants and D’Agostino Supermarkets.

After opening its doors twenty years ago, the Leonard Covello Senior Center in Harlem needed renovation, and volunteers from ABC Disney, JP Morgan Chase, AmeriCorps, Fordham Prep, New York University, and City Year graciously accepted the challenge.

The snowstorm that hit New York City over the weekend threatened the safety and health of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, the homebound elderly. Citymeals delivered Emergency Food Packages, each with the equivalent of 12 shelf-stable meals, to 17,000 frail aged meal recipients in preparation for harsh winter weather. Meal centers also double-delivered meals to prepare for weather delays and closings throughout the weekend.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of leadership and service, Citymeals coordinated meal deliveries with several volunteer groups, corporate groups, and a civic-minded community leader. To prepare vulnerable elderly for the holiday weekend, these groups helped deliver 14,214 three-meal boxes of shelf-stable food during the week prior to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

For two weeks this winter, customers at Duane Reade, the New York City-based drugstore chain, were asked to donate their spare change to help feed New York City’s homebound elderly as part of a partnership with Citymeals-on-Wheels. This year marked Duane Reade’s second year participating in this initiative.  

The efforts of Citymeals and our friends to make this holiday season brighter for elderly New Yorkers feel particularly poignant, given the challenges our city experienced this year. Hurricane Sandy left thousands homeless, without food, water, and power for days, even weeks. Many frail aged New Yorkers were more vulnerable than ever.

Hurricane Sandy created significant obstacles for the delivery of meals Citymeals provides to nearly 17,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers on a regular basis.