{"id":216000,"date":"2026-04-30T22:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T22:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216000\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T22:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T22:14:14","slug":"citymeals-on-wheels-volunteers-fight-food-insecurity-and-social-isolation-among-bronx-seniors-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216000\/","title":{"rendered":"Citymeals on Wheels volunteers fight food insecurity and social isolation among Bronx seniors \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Citymeals on Wheels relies on an army of about 17,000 volunteers who bring desperately needed food and social interaction<\/a> to older adults in every corner of the Bronx and New York City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Letisha Gary is one local volunteer who has worked regularly to ensure the city\u2019s seniors are fed and cared for. Gary was born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx. She now lives in Parkchester and has been volunteering with Citymeals weekly since Thanksgiving 2024, and on and off for years before that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last fiscal year in the Bronx, she and the Citymeals crew delivered over 275,000 meals to 3,700 seniors who have difficulty getting around to buy their own groceries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even in New York\u2019s stereotypically wealthy neighborhoods, many seniors are living in poverty. The average Citymeals client is 87 years old, and the majority live on $15,000 or less per year. Their inability to afford food \u2014 and leave home to get it \u2014 puts them at risk of malnutrition, as well as social isolation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"About 17,000 New Yorkers volunteer with Citymeals in every corner of NYC. Photo courtesy Citymeals on Wheels<\/p>\n

Gary\u2019s work has taken her all over the city, often to the Carter Burden Luncheon Club on the Upper East Side and throughout Brooklyn, or wherever she\u2019s needed on the days she\u2019s available. She also participated in a shopping buddy pilot program in which volunteers go to the supermarket for clients or shop alongside them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gary said she\u2019s especially passionate about food accessibility in her home city. \u201cFor me, volunteering is a way to give back to the community that serves me,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s filling a gap that they need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said she was recently unemployed for awhile and had a more flexible schedule, which made it easier for her to volunteer more often. But even though she\u2019s starting a city job soon, Gary said Citymeals has a very \u201cvolunteer-friendly\u201d operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Anyone can go on the website and \u201ccherry-pick\u201d different opportunities based on availability and location, Gary said. \u201cThey really make it easy for volunteers to jump right in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Citymeals is known for delivering prepared food but has added other options in order to reach more seniors amid the city\u2019s affordability crisis. Photo courtesy Citymeals on Wheels<\/p>\n

In addition, she said people can choose different opportunities based on their interests, or just how sociable they\u2019re feeling. Volunteers can do deliveries by car or on foot, or package meals in the warehouse to stay more \u201cbehind the scenes,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Overall, Gary said she gets a great feeling from helping meet the needs of fellow New Yorkers.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hands-on. I\u2019m meeting real people. I\u2019m not just kinda dropping off food at a location,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes, this is the only interaction they have with someone that\u2019s not transactional. It feels good in both directions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Katie Barth, director of program initiatives and evaluations for Citymeals, told the Bronx Times that \u201chyperlocal\u201d volunteers like Gary are critical to reaching seniors in need in every neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amid the affordability crisis, seniors are struggling more than ever to access food or get the appropriate foods they need for dietary reasons, Barth said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

In addition, since about 30% of Citymeals clients also receive SNAP benefits. Cuts and changes<\/a> to that program have sent every food nonprofit scrambling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In response to this uncertainty, Citymeals has created new offerings, such as breakfast boxes and mobile groceries, to meet residents\u2019 needs beyond the prepared meal delivered to their doors each day. \u201cWe know that that one meal a day is not enough,\u201d Barth said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said although the city\u2019s affordability crisis seems to be getting worse before it gets better, \u201cWe\u2019re trying to alleviate as much of the anxiety and stress that older adults are feeling across the five boroughs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Bronx is an important base of Citymeals\u2019 logistical operations. The organization\u2019s fresh produce distribution center is at the Hunts Point Market<\/a>, which is also the site of Citymeals\u2019 Mobile Food Pantry that provides clients with supplemental items.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Citymeals\u2019 distribution center at the Hunts Point Market serves as a pantry, logistics center and emergency meal storage.Photo courtesy Citymeals on Wheels<\/p>\n

In addition, the distribution center stores 50,000 meals ready to be sent out in case of a major city emergency. Overall, Citymeals is a \u201cwild operation,\u201d Barth said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also explained how Bronx households may help shape future offerings. In the borough, the organization is currently partnering with CUNY on a study of 200 meal recipients experiencing extreme food insecurity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the work is in early phases, the study, including surveys and focus groups, highlights different client choice models for delivered groceries, not just prepared food.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many people tend to think of community service opportunities during the holiday season. But Latisha and Citymeals hope to convey the message that in the Bronx and citywide, \u201cThere\u2019s never not a need for volunteers,\u201d as Barth put it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need doesn\u2019t just exist during the holidays. It\u2019s year-round,\u201d Gary said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n