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Coronavirus Update New York City: Citymeals on Wheels marks 3 million meals delivered during pandemic

Coronavirus update for NYC

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Citymeals on Wheels marks 3 million meals delivered during pandemic

Citymeals on Wheels has delivered more than three million meals to New York City's homebound elderly during the coronavirus pandemic.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Citymeals on Wheels has delivered more than three million meals to New York City's homebound elderly during the coronavirus pandemic.

"That's about 66% more than the year prior so we ramped up our services, doubled our teams here at our emergency meal distribution center and did what we needed to do."

During an event at the organization's Emergency Meal Distribution Center in the Bronx on Thursday, Citymeals leadership discussed its emergency response to the crisis over the last year, and what lies ahead.

As coronavirus cases increased in March of 2020 and stay at home ordered were mandated, food insecurity also surged.

In response, Citymeals scaled up its work, delivering more than three million meals to those in depespate need.

"That's about 66% more than the year prior, so we ramped up our services, doubled our teams here at our emergency meal distribution center and did what we needed to do," Executive Director Beth Shapiro said.

Citymeals has been working on the frontlines of the pandemic to ensure home-delivered meals continue uninterrupted and emergency food is available for isolated and vulnerable seniors facing food insecurity.

"We are nourishing all those people who have built this city for all of us,"Shapiro said.

Citymeals has served 50,000 older New Yorkers since the start of the pandemic, including nearly 20,000 homebound elderly on its regular meal delivery routes.

"They are truly appreciative, they welcome more than anything to see a face, even at a distance, to see something giving them that meal," Operations Manager Liz Cantillo said.