Brings Groceries To The Neediest
Committed to combating malnutrition, hunger and loneliness among New York City’s most frail homebound elderly, Citymeals-on-Wheels announced the expansion of its Mobile Food Pantry to Flushing and Cambria Heights
The Citymeals Mobile Food Pantry, first launched in March 2011, serves numerous Bronx neighborhoods, upper Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and delivers supplemental shelf-stable food on a weekly basis earmarked for low-income Citymeals clients who are most at risk for hunger and malnutrition.
The pantry bags contain non-perishable items such as canned vegetables, cereal, rice, pasta, canned stews and soup. Citymeals delivers the food to its local, neighborhood-based food providers where case managers identify recipients most in need of additional food deliveries.
With the new funding through a grant from EmblemHealth, Citymeals will be able to make 110 additional deliveries per week in Queens-bringing the total number of Mobile Food Pantry clients served to 800 clients by year’s end.
Founded 30 years ago, Citymealson Wheels is a not-for-profit organization that raises private funds to prepare and deliver weekend, holiday and emergency meals to the homebound elderly throughout the boroughs of New York City. The Mobile Food Pantry was established to bridge the food insecurity gap for those most in need.
Beth Shapiro, executive director of Citymeals-on-Wheels, said, “Food insecurity-not knowing where your next meal will come from-is a problem that haunts many Citymeals recipients who are too poor and frail to shop and cook for themselves. The new funding from EmblemHealth will help us tackle this serious problem among our most vulnerable recipients. We are deeply grateful for their generosity.”
Initial funding for the Citymealson Wheels Mobile Food Pantry was provided by the New York Community Trust. ALCOA then provided additional funding for the Bronx. The program was able to expand last year to upper Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn thanks to funding from The New York Times Neediest Cases.
