In 2024, Citymeals on Wheels reached a historic milestone by delivering its 70 millionth meal to a beneficiary in Harlem.
Founded in New York in 1981, Citymeals on Wheels delivers over 2 million meals a year to 22,000 older New Yorkers who are no longer able to shop or cook for themselves. The organisation works to combat food insecurity and enable its meal recipients to live in dignity in their own homes.
Citymeals on Wheels also plays a vital role in delivering emergency food aid, responding to major crises such as September 11, Hurricane Sandy and the Covid-19 pandemic. During the latter, it delivered over 1.2 million meals between March and June 2020. In 2024, it reached a historic milestone by delivering its 70 millionth meal to a recipient in Harlem.
Since its creation, Citymeals on Wheels has ensured that no older New Yorker in need goes a single day without a nutritious meal. Working in partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging, 30 meal distribution centres and other community stakeholders, the organisation serves the city’s five boroughs, meeting the needs of one of the most diverse elderly populations in the country.
While the city funds meal deliveries on weekdays, Citymeals on Wheels also ensures access to meals on weekends, public holidays and during emergency situations. The contribution from the Audemars Piguet Foundation for Common Good will enable Citymeals on Wheels to deliver 60,800 meals over the weekends of November 2024 and 2025 to 3,200 beneficiaries in Manhattan.
