CITYMEALS ON WHEELS RAISES NEARLY $3.7 MILLION
AT  35TH ANNUAL POWER LUNCH   

 Honorees Include Longtime Volunteers Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush and Corporate Partner Bloomberg, Funds Raised Will Deliver over 450,000 Meals for New York City’s Homebound Elderly 

(Thursday, November 17, 2022 – New York, NY) – Today, 300 leaders in the fields of business, fashion, entertainment, arts, government, and philanthropy gathered at The Plaza to support Citymeals on Wheels for the nonprofit’s 35th Annual Power Lunch. Emceed by Stephanie Ruhle, MSNBC Host and NBC News Senior Business Analyst, the event raised nearly $3.7 million, including a surprise donation of $2.5 million from a generous supporter. 100% of the funds raised will go to the preparation and delivery of over 450,000 meals for homebound elderly New Yorkers.  

This year’s Power Lunch honored longtime Citymeals volunteers and supporters, Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager, and steadfast corporate partner Bloomberg.

“We are proud to honor our longtime corporate partner Bloomberg and volunteers Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, who have helped nourish their homebound elderly neighbors for years,” said Citymeals Executive Director Beth Shapiro. “We thank Citymeals’ many generous friends who joined us today to support the lifeline of nourishing meals and companionship we provide for older New Yorkers in need.”

With the passing of Citymeals’ founder Gael Greene in November, this year’s Power Lunch offered a touching tribute to her as a renowned restaurant critic, who also cared deeply about ensuring older New Yorkers facing hunger are not forgotten. Since its founding in 1981, Citymeals has delivered over 67 million meals and become the largest nonprofit meals on wheels program in the country. Gael Greene remained closely involved in the organization’s mission and events until her death.

“While this is our first Power Lunch without Gael, her spirit was with us today as we celebrated this annual tradition she helped begin 35 years ago bringing together Citymeals’ generous supporters in the fight to end elder hunger,” added Shapiro.

Notable attendees at this year’s event included: Bara Tisch, Barbara Pierce Bush, Barbara Tober, Carly Zakin, Dan Colen, Daniel & Katherine Boulud, Dasha Zhukova, Deborah Roberts, Derek Blasberg, Donna Hanover, Elizabeth Schaffer, Florence Fabricant, Georgette Farkas, Hamilton South, Hoda Kotb, Huma Abedin, Irene Gandy, Jack McCollough, Jamee Gregory, Jamie Tisch, Jenna Bush Hager, Judith Zabar, Kate MacKenzie, Kate Young, Kathleen Turner, Lauren Santo Domingo, Lazaro Hernandez, Leigh Lezark, Lenore Skenazy, Liz Neumark, Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch, Commissioner of the Department for the Aging Lorraine Cortes-Vasquez, Margo M. & Jimmy Nederlander, Marika & Neil Bender, Pat Wexler, Rachel Atcheson, Samantha Boardman & Aby Rosen, Savannah Guthrie, Serena Boardman, Selby Drummond, Sienna Miller, Stephanie Ruhle, Suri Kasirer, Zanna Roberts Rassi, and Wes Gordon.

Citymeals’ Power Lunch is the organization’s largest annual fundraiser. The event comes at a critical time in the fight to end elder hunger. One in 10 older New Yorkers is facing food insecurity. Among Citymeals recipients, 14% live on just the one meal a day the organization delivers. Working in partnership with community-based organizations and senior centers across the city, Citymeals is serving nearly 20,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers with a lifeline of meals and vital companionship.

Event sponsors included Citymeals’ official airline American Airlines and official water FIJI Water. 

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Citymeals on Wheels (citymeals.org) provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to nearly 20,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers. Working in partnership with community-based organizations and senior centers, Citymeals prepared and delivered nearly 2 million weekend, holiday and emergency meals last year. Last year, nearly 19,000 volunteers gave more than 52,000 hours of time to Citymeals’ mission.

Since its founding in 1981, Citymeals has relied on the generosity of its Board of Directors, the City of New York, sponsors, and other designated gifts to cover administrative costs. This ensures that 100% of all public donations will be used entirely for the preparation and delivery of meals.