It was a bittersweet reunion for the volunteers who, one year ago, made the daily trek through Superstorm Sandy’s floodwaters to a Citymeals-on-Wheels warehouse in Williamsburg to pick up and deliver 64,595 emergency meals to older New Yorkers stranded inside their homes with no heat or electricity.
On Wednesday, October 23, a small group—just a few of the more than 860 total volunteers last year—gathered again at 307 Kent Avenue, this time to share some hugs and then join the assembly line of volunteers packing Emergency Food Packages (EFPs) for seniors who are still struggling to make it day-to-day.
“In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I sought a way to help my city,” said volunteer Derek Blasberg, who is also an editor-at-large at Harper’s Bazaar. “By helping me provide food and water to those who needed it during the blackout, Citymeals-on-Wheels gave me an opportunity to give. But, as is often the case with this worthwhile organization, I took just as much from the experience as those we helped.”
Citymeals board member Samantha Boardman added that “the Citymeals-on-Wheels staff and volunteers are my heroes and so are our meal recipients. They all rallied in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy but then again, they all rally every single day.”
Each EFP weighs 20 pounds and contains 12 shelf-stable meals to last a homebound senior for the better part of a week, until their next delivery. Such meals and packages are intended to provide adequate sustenance and supplies in case of an emergency, whether a major disaster like Sandy or a particularly bad winter blizzard or blackout—all of which would disrupt their regular food delivery.
On the Avenue: Adelphi goes ‘purple’ for our military 
On the Avenue: Annual Kiwanis karaoke event raises funds for ailing children