Citymeals on Wheels Raises Nearly $1.2 Million at the 32nd Annual
Power Lunch for Women

Award-Winning Actor Jane Krakowski Hosted the Benefit to Support
New York City’s Homebound Elderly

(Wednesday, November 14, 2018 – New York, NY) Earlier this afternoon, over 300 leading women in the fields of business, technology, arts, politics, and entertainment gathered at Rainbow Room to support Citymeals on Wheels. The organization’s invitation-only 32nd Annual Power Lunch for Women raised nearly $1.2 million, equivalent to over 160,000 meals, with 100% of the funds raised going directly to the preparation and delivery of meals for homebound elderly New Yorkers. 

What began in 1986 as a take on the traditional men’s power breakfast has grown into a networking imperative for the city’s most influential women. The intimate luncheon was emceed by award-winning actor Jane Krakowski. Citymeals honored longtime supporters Kathie Lee Gifford (Co-Host of the fourth hour of The Today Show), Jessica Lappin (President of the Alliance for Downtown New York) and Derek Blasberg (YouTube's Director of Fashion & Beauty).

Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals on Wheels, said, “The homebound elderly we serve are the city’s most vulnerable population. They count on the vital lifeline of nutritious meals and warm companionship Citymeals provides. Thanks to the generosity of the women – and men – in this room, our frail aged neighbors can take comfort in knowing that Citymeals will always be there for them and that they will not be forgotten. Thank you to Kathie Lee Gifford, Jessica Lappin, Derek Blasberg, as well as all our guests and sponsors, who are ensuring no homebound elderly New Yorker will ever go a day without a nourishing meal and a friendly smile."

Since its founding in 1981, Citymeals on Wheels has delivered 58 million meals throughout the five boroughs. Each year, the organization prepares and delivers over 2 million weekend, holiday and emergency meals to more than 18,000 frail aged New Yorkers.

Event sponsors included: Citymeals’ official airline American Airlines, official water is FIJI Water, Bloomingdale’s, Brookfield Properties, Citarella, City National Bank, Cushman & Wakefield, HBO, Travelers, and Zabar’s.

Notable Attendees:

Human Abdein, Fabiola Beracasa, Derek Blasberg, Dr. Samantha Boardman, Daniel Boulud, Barbara Bush, Selby Drummond, Jennifer Fisher, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sunhee Grinnell, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Jessica Lappin, Florence Fabricant, Thelma Golden, Iman, Dana Ivey, Amirah Kassem, Suri Kasirer, Bette Midler, Margo MacNabb Nederlander, Wendi Murdoch, Bernadette Peters, Aby Rosen, Jessica Seinfeld, Priyanka Shukla, Marcia Stein, Jamie Tisch, Jonathan Tisch, Lizzie Tisch, Kathleen Turner, Harley Viera-Newton, Dr. Patricia Wexler, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

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Citymeals on Wheels (citymeals.org) provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to New York City’s homebound elderly. Working in partnership with community-based organizations and senior centers, Citymeals prepares and delivers over 2 million weekend, holiday and emergency meals for more than 18,000 of our frail aged neighbors each year. This year, nearly 25,000 individuals lent their support to our mission.

Since its founding in 1981, Citymeals has relied on the generosity of its Board of Directors, the City of New York, sponsors and other designated gifts to cover administrative costs. This ensures that 100% of all public donations will be used entirely for the preparation and delivery of meals.