The Citymeals Blog

After returning to New York City four years ago, I knew I wanted to give back in the place I called home and decided to get involved with Citymeals. I had volunteered with the organization a few times when I was in college and it felt like a natural fit.

Soon after, I was asked to join the Citymeals Young Professionals Committee. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to continue making a difference in the lives of people I’d seen on my delivery routes.

As Volunteerism Chair of the Citymeals Young Professionals Committee, my work can involve a lot of logistics – from ensuring a committee board member is leading Saturday deliveries to planning special outings during the holidays. I get to work with other amazing Citymeals supporters like Brad Egnor and Tom Kretchmar, who have been essential to creating a dedicated group of Young Professional volunteers.

Above all, volunteering with Citymeals is an extension of my heart. It’s just the way my heart chooses to give back. Citymeals is such a vital organization to our city. In the most basic sense, volunteers are nourishing their homebound elderly neighbors. But volunteering is about so much more.

You get to be a part of the mission in a tangible way. When you see how happy the recipients are to receive their meal, the appreciation on their faces – you realize how important what we do really is. For a lot of our elderly neighbors, we are the only contact they have that day. We provide them with companionship and let them know they are not forgotten. It’s only when you deliver the meals that you truly understand all that Citymeals is about.

It’s such a small act on our part, but it means so much. The relationships I’ve developed have given me a strong sense of community and it’s because of our volunteerism that Citymeals Young Professionals are so passionate about the work we do.

I can’t say this enough – the best way to get involved with Citymeals is to volunteer. But there are a number of ways to make an impact: run a race with Team Citymeals or attend an event. Last month, the Young Professionals Committee kicked off spring with a tasting at the Citymeals warehouse that raised enough to provide more than 2,200 meals!

No matter your schedule or how much you can give, everyone can support Citymeals. Your generosity means the world to the homebound elderly.