Since January, the future of federal nutrition programs has been unclear and the impact on state and local partners remains unknown. At the federal level, the ACL (Administration for Community Living), which administers funding for the Older Americans Act and home-delivered meal programs, has been dissolved. At the city level, the Mayor’s budget does not invest adequately in support for older New Yorkers given the growth in the older adult population and their needs. Advocates are now calling for $21 million to provide home-delivered meals seven days a week and $57 million in funding for congregate meal programs at older adult centers. Amidst all this uncertainty, a privately funded organization with thousands of caring supporters like Citymeals on Wheels provides a lifeline that is more important than ever.  

“Citymeals stands ready to meet the needs of older New Yorkers, supporting our partners and delivering emergency meals to our neighbors in need,” said Citymeals CEO Beth Shapiro. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach from privately funded groups like ours working in tandem with publicly funded programs from the city and beyond if we want to end elder hunger by 2040. Citymeals has never turned anyone away, and we’re committed to ensuring older New Yorkers do not have to worry where their next meal is coming from.”  

As one of the city’s designated emergency responders, we have the flexibility and experience to get nutritious food to older New Yorkers across the city and will continue working with our partners to do so as this economic uncertainty upends older New Yorkers’ budgets and wellbeing.