Citymeals-on-Wheels Board Member Yusi Gurrera of Citarella – a top destination for gourmet groceries and fine prepared foods – delivered meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers as part of the Chefs Deliver for Citymeals program.
A Citymeals initiative, Chefs Deliver brings together a rotating cast of culinary stars who, once a month, lend their talents to Citymeals – cooking and often personally delivering the meals to the doors of New Yorkers who are too frail to shop and cook for themselves. Chefs Deliver was launched in January 2014 by Citymeals Board of Directors Co-President Chef Daniel Boulud and Citymeals Board Member Chef Charlie Palmer.
Yusi Gurrera packing meals Photo by Eric Groom
Citarellaprepared a total of 100 meals consisting of salmon Florentine and bruschetta, quinoa salad and sautéed peas and mushrooms. Gurrera, Citymeals Executive Director Beth Shapiro, and four Citarella store managers hand-delivered several meals to Citymeals recipients living in Greenwich Village. The remainder of the 100 meals was delivered to recipients on the Upper East Side.
A longtime Board Member and supporter of Citymeals, Gurrera will be honored at Citymeals’ 29th Annual “Power Lunch for Women” on Friday, November 20. Later this month, Citarella will kick off its annual “Round Up for Citymeals-on-Wheels” program. Running from Thanksgiving through December 31, 2015, customers at participating Citarella stores will be asked if they would like to make a donation to Citymeals at checkout. Participating locations include all New York City and Hamptons stores. Over the years, Citarella has raised over $620,000 for Citymeals through the “Round-Up” program.
“With Thanksgiving just weeks away, it’s important for us to remember those who are in need, especially our frail aged neighbors who live behind closed doors,” noted Shapiro. “Citymeals is extremely grateful to Yusi and Citarella for participating in Chefs Deliver this month and for their ‘Round-Up’ beginning in just a few weeks. We also look forward to honoring Yusi at our Power Lunch for Women.”
Citymeals-on-Wheels prepares and delivers weekend, holiday and emergency meals for 18,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers. More than 60 percent of Citymeals recipients are over 80 years old; 23 percent are over 90; more than 200 have lived at least a century. All recipients are chronically disabled by conditions such as vision loss, diabetes, arthritis and heart disease. Nearly all need assistance walking. It is estimated that 66 percent use a cane, 39 percent use a walker and 16 percent use a wheelchair. Citymeals recipients are also isolated: 57 percent live alone; 40 percent rarely or never leave their homes; 8 percent have no one with whom they can talk. Many are also at risk for malnutrition.
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