BY BETH DEDMAN
NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson is asking for New Yorkers to support organizations that are aiding the most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.
After the CDC recommended that the elderly should stay indoors to protect themselves from exposure to the coronavirus, food providers are reaching out to even more food insecure people than before.
“Our seniors are especially at-risk right now, which is why I’m asking you to contribute today to Citymeals on Wheels and God’s Love We Deliver — two great nonprofits desperately in need of financial resources to ensure as many seniors in our city get the food they need as possible,” Johnson said.
Citymeals prepares and delivers over 2 million weekend, holiday and emergency meals for more than 18,000 elderly New Yorkers every year. They are preparing an extra 200,000 meals in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Citymeals on Wheels website.
“Citymeals is working with partners across the five boroughs, including the New York City Department for the Aging, to support the City’s response to the coronavirus,” according to a press release from Citymeals. “As the designated emergency responder for the city’s seniors, we’re working to ensure older New Yorkers have nourishing meals during this public health crisis.”
By end of day Thursday, Citymeals will have packed and delivered 150,000 emergency meals for older New Yorkers in need. They will then begin preparation of an additional 100,000 emergency meals.
God’s Love We Deliver is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by preparing and delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves.
God’s Love We Deliver is providing shelf-stable meal bags containing enough food for a week to each of their clients during the pandemic. Each bag is worth a $54 donation.
“If you are financially able, please make a contribution to these two important nonprofit organizations supporting our elderly community during this pandemic,” Johnson said. “Anything you can give — even a donation of $10 — will make an important difference in this fight.”
Donations for CityMeals on Wheels can be made at https://www.citymeals.org/support-us/donate-now.
Donations for God’s Love We Deliver can be made at https://www.glwd.org/.
Donations can also be made through Act Blue Charities, which is paid for by Johnson’s political campaign https://secure.actblue.com/donate/covid19-cj?refcode=em200318.
This story first appeared on amny.com.
