June 18, 2024 (New York, NY) – Citymeals on Wheels marked a major milestone today with the delivery of its 70 millionth meal since the organization’s founding in 1981. Chef Daniel Boulud, Chair of Citymeals Board of Directors, and CEO of Citymeals Beth Shapiro delivered the meal to 87-year-old Asha Bell in East Harlem

After a long career in law, Ms. Bell retired and now has mobility issues that make it impossible for her to leave the apartment she has called home for 50 years. She is one of the 22,000 older New Yorkers who rely on home-delivered meals and regular check-ins from Citymeals on Wheels.

There are nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers over the age of 60 today. Increasingly, they are women, immigrants and people living alone with limited social support. Citymeals' recent report "Aging Without Hunger" reveals a food insecurity crisis among adults aged 60 and over receiving home-delivered meals and attending older adult centers in New York City. In the report, Citymeals on Wheels commits to ending hunger among older adults in New York City by 2040. Here are a few of the findings:

• Half of older New Yorkers surveyed experienced food insecurity in the past year. That rises to 60% for those receiving home-delivered meals.
• Financial hardship among older New Yorkers was striking: 65% of those surveyed are living on less than $15,000 a year.
• Lack of social support exacerbates the challenges faced by older New Yorkers: 45% of those surveyed have nobody who can provide meals for them at least once daily.

“Citymeals ensures that older New Yorkers never have to go a day without a meal and friendly check-in, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to deliver our 70 millionth meal to Ms. Bell,” said Beth Shapiro, CEO of Citymeals on Wheels. “It’s older New Yorkers like her who built this city. Delivering a nutritious meal and checking in, not only keeps them from going hungry, it’s often all they need to remain in their own homes, where they want to be,” she added.

"Delivering this 70 millionth meal is an honor and a testament to the essential work Citymeals does,” said Chef Daniel Boulud, Chair of Citymeals’ Board of Directors. “They truly provide a lifeline for older New Yorkers, ensuring they never have worry about where their next meal will come from."

In recognition of Citymeals’ 70 millionth meal, the New York City skyline will be painted “Citymeals blue” tonight with towers illuminated at 1 World Trade Center, 4 Times Square, 1 Bryant Park, and the Sven residential complex in Long Island City.