In the spirit of giving, Citymeals on Wheels volunteers spent their Christmas Day preparing and delivering holiday meals to New York City's homebound seniors. The charitable handiwork took place at the Carter Burden Luncheon Club and Older Adult Program on the Upper East Side, where volunteers, not just to pack meals for delivery, but also to set up a festive lunch for those who could join in person, according to a CBS News New York report.
The volunteer-driven effort is part of a larger Citymeals on Wheels initiative to truly deliver on a promise of holiday cheer with a target to provide 700,000 meals citywide. This includes making special deliveries of 15,000 Christmas meals, a heartwarming attempt to ensure no one is left out during the holiday season. In a recent broadcast, Citymeals on Wheels CEO Beth Shapiro told "The Rush Hour" on NY1, "We are so lucky to have volunteers every day of the year, but hundreds today making sure that meals are going out to homebound older adults." The full interview can be found on the NY1 website.
The organization, dedicated to addressing the isolation and nutritional needs of New York’s senior citizens, serves more than 2 million meals annually to the city's elderly, who are unable to leave their homes. The hustle of the holiday season prompts a grander scale of volunteerism, with some 3,500 individuals stepping up to sustain and spread the communal bond that Citymeals embodies.
Aside from the delivery of meals, the Christmas Day event at the Carter Burden Network was marked with performances from carolers and musicians, all aiming to not only to share sustenance but also to create an environment of jubilation and sociability. As Shapiro noted in her interview with CBS News New York, "And those who are able to come in are joining us here at Carter Burden network for lunch a little bit later today."
