NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Citymeals on Wheels has now delivered 4 million meals in the city since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The number is almost double what Citymeals on Wheels would normally do in that time frame, said the organization’s executive director, Beth Shapiro.
As COVID-19 raged, homebound and older New Yorkers were more isolated than ever. Citymeals on Wheels kept them fed.
“I’d like to celebrate the heroes—the meal deliverers and the kitchen staff who became frontline workers and never missed a meal delivery,” Shapiro said.
She said she’s touched by the fact they had more volunteers step up during the heat of the pandemic.
“I think everyone began to feel isolated and understand what older New Yorkers feel on an everyday basis,” Shapiro said.
She said the crisis is easing but that more people are at risk of going hungry.
“We are starting to see some stabilization but at a higher level than we had in the past,” Shapiro said.
Hunger remains a serious problem and the demand for meals is still up.
“We are feeding about 10% more older New Yorkers than we have a year and a half ago,” Shapiro said. “We are still seeing pockets of need of older New Yorkers who are not able to get out even as senior centers begin to open.”
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