Citymeals on Wheels Celebrates its 36th Year with a Power Lunch at The Plaza

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially at the Plaza Hotel, set at New York’s iconic crossroads of Central Park South and 5th Avenue. As guests and board members arrived on the red velvet steps, all eyes were on the wreaths being unpacked and the roped-off glistening set of holiday trees brimming with cheery tinsel. For Citymeals on Wheels, the holiday season, despite its busyness and haste, is the time to remember those in need.

These days, a power lunch is hard to come by—we’ve long since surpassed the Wall Street days of economic arguments over cold cuts and paperwork. But, at 11:30 am on a Wednesday, New Yorkers congregated at the Plaza for Citymeals to chat charity. Gael Greene founded Citymeals in 1981 after realizing thousands of elder New Yorkers were without sustenance on holidays and weekends. She mobilized her companions in the food world to help, delivering 6,000 meals that first Christmas. And it’s only grown since then. Wednesday’s lunch honored Barbara Tober, Joe Holder, and Standard Industries with touching notes from Derek Blasberg and Stephanie Ruhle.

“Over 2 million meals were distributed in this city last year to 22,000 people—elderly people who not only needed the help but needed the connection. Citymeals on Wheels has always understood the importance of knocking on someone s door, telling them that they care, and providing a hot meal—it is everything,” Ruhle rejoiced. Over a plant-based lunch, guests looked to the stage with pride—feeling reinspired during trying times to reconnect to the community and to do, not just good, but great, by our neighbors.