For the past two years, the first Tuesday of each month brings Chefs Deliver, a Citymeals initiative in which professional chefs create a meal to be delivered to selected Citymeals participants. These special meals go to those designated by case managers as having additional needs to the usual Citymeals that arrive daily, including weekends and holidays. Citymeals organization was formed on Christmas in 1981 to bring meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers who are too frail to shop and cook for themselves. The Chefs Deliver initiative was launched in January 2014 by Citymeals Board of Directors Co-President Chef Daniel Boulud and Citymeals Board Member Chef Charlie Palmer.
Tuesday, October 6th, Andrew Carmellini was the chef of choice. He is the chef and co-owner of Locanda Verde and NoHo Hospitality Group restaurants. Chef Carmellini prepared wood-fired chicken, roasted potatoes, and broccolini with lemon. He then joined Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals-on-Wheels, to hand-deliver several meals to Citymeals recipients in Greenwich Village. However, 95 of the meals he cooked were delivered to recipients in Williamsburg Brooklyn, at 88 Seigel Street and around the vicinity.
In North Brooklyn Citymeals serves over 500 participants: 90 in Greenpoint and 400-450 in Williamsburg and Bushwick. In April, Chef’s Deliver utilized the talents of chefs Marc Forgione and Ryan Handy who delivered to the Williamsburg/Bushwick area.
“As the weather gets colder and winter draws near, our meal recipients grow even more vulnerable and isolated. Chefs Deliver reminds our meal recipients that someone is thinking of them,” explained Shapiro.
On Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 11:15am five cast members of the Broadway musical “On Your Feet!” got on their feet, rolled up their sleeves and worked a bustling assembly line with Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals. They packed up huge Emergency Food Packages (EFPs) at Citymeals’ warehouse, 307 Kent Avenue. Each 20-pound EFP contains the equivalent of 12 shelf-stable meals and will be delivered to the homes of more than 18,000 Citymeals recipients before Thanksgiving.
Looking forward to this Thanksgiving, Citymeals goes all out to create a traditional meal of roast turkey, fixings, and pie for those they serve.
Citymeals relies on the generosity of sponsors, its Board of Directors, the City of New York and other designated gifts to cover administrative costs. This ensures that 100% of all public donations go directly to the preparation and delivery of meals. For more information visit their website: www.citymeals.org
The Greenline 