The Honorable Mayor Tony Vauss, the Irvington Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (“INIC”), with the Department of Health and Senior Services' assistance, provided 25,643 meals to Irvington’s senior citizens since March 2020.
According to a statement released to RLS Media, meals were prepared three times per day at INIC located at 346 16th Avenue in Irvington and distributed to the public. The Irvington Senior Center employees engage in a detailed system of registering seniors for meal delivery and then transporting those meals to seniors’ residences.
“Very early on in the pandemic, we realized the need to provide a reliable source of food to our most vulnerable and precious citizens. It was clear that our seniors needed to remain in the safety of their homes and away from the public. Therefore, any senior that wanted two hot meals per day, we sent our staff out to deliver it to them.
Other seniors decided to come to INIC themselves to pick up their own meals. In addition to meals, we also provided boxes of nonperishable and perishable foods. We essentially eliminated the seniors' need to put themselves in danger by going out to get food. I am thankful to the employees of INIC and the Senior Center who have worked tirelessly during this pandemic to ensure our seniors had a source of food,” said Mayor Vauss.
“The need for food security is more prevalent than ever for all of our citizens, and especially those who are vulnerable to COVID-19. In conjunction with staff members from the Senior Center, my entire staff pulled together to make sure senior citizens, children and families, ate 2-3 meals per day. INIC is the hub for needy citizens in Irvington, and all are welcome to apply for and receive services,” said Deborah Simpkins, Director of INIC.
Any Irvington resident in need of assistance is encouraged to contact the Irvington Neighborhood Improvement Corporation at 973-416-0916.