The Citymeals Blog

When I joined Citymeals on Wheels twelve years ago as part of the growing Volunteer Program, I was given a desk and a box of birthday cards to distribute to the homebound elderly New Yorkers we serve.

Fast forward to today and Citymeals is distributing over 69,793 handmade cards each year. We have 31 different card titles, including all the major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Passover, as well as a host of nontraditional holidays like Grandparents Day, Halloween and Earth Day. We send cards for the start of each new season and of course for birthdays. This year, we added Eid, an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims, to our roster of existing card titles.

Citymeals cards are designed and created by schoolchildren, community and corporate volunteers who lend their time, creativity and thoughtfulness to this special effort. Last year, 300 New York City schools, 10 Girl Scout troops, 50 community groups, 15 corporate groups, and lots of individual volunteers supported the Citymeals card program. They get together, put a pen or crayon to paper and let their creativity flow. Cards are then sent to our meal centers across the five boroughs, which include them with a home-delivered meal.

Our homebound neighbors are very appreciative of these beautifully made cards. I have received many letters from meal recipients, like 80-year-old Anna, who wrote: “The beautiful cards from the children adorn my walls. This food nourished my body, but the thoughts and love that come my way touched my soul.” Our cards have become a gift itself and serve as a reminder to our older neighbors that they are not forgotten.

What makes the Citymeals card program so unique – at time when so much communication happens via text message and social media – is that these greetings are handmade, so each individual who designed a card put meaningful thought into their creation. In doing so, people young and old are reminded of the love and respect they have for their own grandparents and older relatives. It is a genuine feeling that is as good to give as it is to receive.

As our number of meal recipients continues to grow, so will the handmade card program. To learn more about the program and contribute cards go to our volunteer application.