Today two of New York City’s finest chefs, Ben Pollinger of Oceana and Alex Reyes of Fifth Dining at Saks Fifth Avenue, prepared meals for their frail aged neighbors as part of the Chefs Deliver for Citymeals program.
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.
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.
Today’s menu included Chef Pollinger’s roast salmon with zucchini, rice pilaf and chocolate cake. Chef Pollinger hand-delivered meals to homebound elderly in Stuyvesant Town. The remainder of the 200 meals he prepared was delivered to meal recipients living in the Upper East Side.
It is estimated that 66 percent use a cane, 39 percent use a walker and 16 percent use a wheelchair.
Chef Reyes prepared spring vegetable pasta salad with organic chicken and garden pea pesto, alongside rhubarb-strawberry cobbler and an apple. Meal recipients in East Harlem received the 500 meals he cooked.
“Chefs Deliver gives our meal recipients a chance to enjoy restaurant-quality meals, which is a luxury that so many of them do not have,” said Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals-on-Wheels. “We are grateful to have such generous and talented chefs donate their time and remind their homebound elderly neighbors that someone is thinking of them. I would especially like to thank Chefs Pollinger and Reyes for participating in the program for a second time since it began last year.”
Citymeals recipients are also isolated: 73 percent live alone; 40 percent rarely or never leave their homes; 8 percent have no one with whom they can talk.
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: 73 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.
Photo Credit: Citymeals-on-Wheels, Executive Chef Ben Pollinger of Oceana, meal recipient Palma, and Executive Sous Chef John Dugan of Oceana.
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