By Rachel Sherrow, Chief Operating Officer
July 18, 2019
When the unexpected arises, Citymeals is always prepared. This week, an emergency in the kitchen of one of the meal centers we partner with forced it to close. This impacted the center’s ability to prepare meals for homebound elderly recipients in Midtown who rely on their weekday deliveries.
As the city’s emergency meal responder for the aging population, Citymeals mobilized our warehouse staff and a group of dedicated corporate and community volunteers to deliver 2,600 shelf-stable emergency meals to our frail aged neighbors in the affected area. When the meal center was unable to reopen its kitchen the following day, Citymeals delivered another 1,500 nonperishable meals.
When emergencies like blizzards, heatwaves or hurricanes disrupt regular meal deliveries, our warehouse is always equipped with emergency meals available for immediate distribution at any time.
These deliveries came at a crucial time – just as a heatwave hit New York City. Extreme heat and humidity can be particularly dangerous for the homebound elderly. With age, it becomes more difficult for the body to regulate temperature, and older people can be at increased risk for heat-related illnesses.
Don’t forget to check in on your frail aged neighbors and remind them to use air conditioning, if possible. Classic signs of dehydration to look out for include confusion or dizziness, weakness, thirst, headache, dry mouth, as well as hot dry skin or cold clammy skin. For those without air conditioning who are able to get out, there are cooling centers throughout the city.
We are able to promise that 100% of your donation will be used for the preparation and delivery of meals, thanks to our partnership with the City of New York, Citymeals board members and certain designated grants for administrative expenses.
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