In a city of millions, no one should feel alone. Yet many of our recipients can go days without seeing anyone besides their meal deliverer. This isolation can worsen physical and mental health conditions. In our research on food insecurity, nearly half of the older New Yorkers we spoke to didn’t have family or friends to help them with one meal a day. Additionally, 38% reported feelings of loneliness and depression.  

when you cannot walk, you feel like a prisoner at home. It’s like solitary confinement.

Zoila, age 88 

Some older New Yorkers want more than just the daily check-in at the door our meal deliveries offer. That’s why Citymeals is expanding efforts to foster connection and community through volunteer programs and partnerships. It can be as simple as a phone call. Through our Social Calls program, volunteers call meal recipients on holidays and special occasions to remind them they aren't forgotten. 

Citymeals' Senior Companions program pairs older New Yorkers with volunteers to accompany them to the grocery store or help with other daily tasks. They also provide much-needed company.  

Our partnership with the Life Story Club brings together small cohorts of meal recipients for a weekly virtual meeting. With groups in English, Spanish and Chinese, participants are prompted with questions and guided through discussions on their shared life experiences. After eight weeks, participants gather in person to share a meal with their new friends.