Text A Turkey
Citymeals Launches Text Donating
PHILANTHROPY MADE EASY:
“TEXT A TURKEY!”
Help Citymeals-On-Wheels Feed
A Homebound, Elderly New Yorker This Holiday Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(New York, NY) - Philanthropy has never been easier. This holiday season Citymeals-on-Wheels is providing an easy and hi-tech way for anyone in the country to serve a frail homebound elderly New Yorker a delicious holiday meal. All you need is a cell phone and your thumbs.
By simply texting the word TURKEY to 50555 from any mobile phone, you can make a one-time donation of $5 that will provide one holiday meal and a friendly visit to a Citymeals-on-Wheels recipient. The $5 will be added to the donor’s mobile phone bill or deducted from the prepaid balance. The Text a Turkey initiative is being conducted in partnership with mGive.com and American Airlines, an official Citymeals sponsor. Citymeals-on-Wheels is a not-for-profit organization that raises private funds to prepare and deliver weekend, holiday and emergency meals to the homebound elderly throughout the boroughs of New York City.
Text a Turkey donations will be accepted through January 4, 2010. Contributions are tax deductible.
After your donation, you will be asked to receive Citymeals mobile alerts and become part of our mobile club. During the month of December, all mobile club members will receive 10% off their next flight on American Airlines (you must say yes to receive Alerts and provide your email address). Visit www.citymeals.org/textrules for details.
Marcia Stein, executive director of Citymeals-on-Wheels, said, “The holidays are a time to gather with loved ones, stay in touch with good friends and reconnect with those who may be far away. But the phones of homebound elderly New Yorkers don’t ring. No one comes to visit. The dinner table is usually empty.”
“So the next time you pick up your cell phone to call a friend to go shopping, to grab a bite to eat or to make a wonderful holiday plan, think about the 17,000 who are all alone this season. With your generous support and the touch of a few buttons, a much needed dinner and a friendly visit from Citymeals is just a text message away. Suddenly, being all thumbs is a very good thing,” Stein added.
Joining in the effort to help spread the word about Text a Turkey are some of Citymeals’ strongest supports from New York City’s culinary world. Aureole, DANIEL, Café Boulud, DBGB, Metrazur, Michael Jordan’s and Strip House are giving patrons information about the initiative with their dinner tab. Pubic Service Announcements, sponsored by American Airlines, are on TV, radio and in local newspapers.
A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You will also receive up to 1 message per day from Citymeals-on-Wheels Alerts. Msg&Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels by the mGive Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. To unsubscribe text STOP to 50555, for help text HELP to 50555.
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Go to citymeals.org/textrules for a list of Official Rules, entry details and prize descriptions.
Citymeals’ recipients rely on home-delivered meal services 365 days a year. More than 75 percent are over 80 years old; 12 percent are over 90. According to a recent survey 73 percent live alone; 40 percent rarely or never leave their homes; and 8 percent have no one to talk to. All recipients are chronically disabled by conditions including vision loss, diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.
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ABOUT CITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS: Founded in 1981, Citymeals-on-Wheels is a not-for-profit organization and public-private partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging that raises private funds to prepare and deliver weekend, holiday and emergency meals to the homebound elderly throughout the boroughs of New York City. Last year, Citymeals underwrote the preparation and delivery of 2.1 million meals to 17,000 aged New Yorkers.
One hundred percent of donations from the public to Citymeals goes toward the preparation and delivery of meals for homebound elderly. For more information, visit www.citymeals.org.
CONTACT: Kim Esp/Colleen Roche
Linden Alschuler & Kaplan Public Relations
212-575-4545 or kesp@lakpr.com
