HUNTS POINT, the Bronx — Food insecurity during the pandemic has become a major concern, especially among seniors.
Organizations like CityMeals on Wheels are leading the emergency food response. Over the last year, they’ve delivered a record of more than three million meals to vulnerable seniors in New York.
The organization has managed to stay ahead of the curve by purchasing emergency food and packing meal boxes as early as February 2020. Therefore, seniors received the first delivery of emergency food just before centers closed and stay-at-home-orders were announced.
The CityMeals’ delivery and warehouse staff became essential workers and thanks to them, home-delivered meals continued uninterrupted.
For the past year, the organization delivered over 3 million meals, which is two-thirds more than the year before. At the height of the pandemic these essential workers delivered meals to 50,000 food insecure seniors daily. Today, they deliver to about 20,000 a day.
While the numbers have decreased, the organization says their services are crucial, feeding 10% more seniors than before the COVID-19 crisis. Now their mission is to continue to serve those in need keep their independence for as long as they can.
