Councilwoman Linda Lee on Sept. 29 joined Grubhub’s ‘Serving the City’ program to deliver 250 meals to seniors at Commonpoint Queens in Little Neck and homebound seniors at Deepdale CARES NORC in honor of Senior Appreciation Month.
Lee thanked Senator Leroy Comrie, Commonpoint Queens, Grubhub and Holy Schnitzel for their partnership during Senior Appreciation Month, as they work to close hunger gaps among the older adult communities and address the specific needs of eastern Queens.
“Eastern Queens is a transit desert with no rail service and limited access to bus lines that have always made it difficult for our seniors to travel to even the closest supermarkets and restaurants to obtain fresh food and produce to support their health and well-being,” said Lee, chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addictions. “As the weather gets colder, we must ensure that our communities have all the resources necessary to support healthy living and combat the rising threat of food insecurity in our neighborhoods.”
Danielle Ellman, CEO of Commonpoint Queens, said the organization is thrilled to partner with Lee and Grubhub to get food to older adults in their community.
“With more than one in 10 seniors facing food insecurity, programs like these are literally saving lives by getting healthy meals to our most vulnerable. Thank you to Grubhub and Council member Lee for their support in helping older adults age with dignity,” Ellman said.
The COVID-19 pandemic and recent rise in grocery prices have increased food insecurity across the nation, impacting nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers, including one in four children. To help combat this issue on a local level, Grubhub is leveraging its vast restaurant network to support underserved communities in Council District 23 and eastern Queens.
“This is a first-of-its-kind program for Grubhub and launching in New York City — touching all five boroughs and partnering with every single City Council member — is the perfect way to leverage our resources and address food insecurity for those in need,” said Brett Swanson, Grubhub’s senior manager for Community Affairs and Social Impact. “To have the greatest impact, we’re going hyper-local, working with the City Council members to understand specific needs in the community and then partner to address them.”
