Meals on Wheels

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A Pioneering Program to Fight Hunger

Goddard Riverside’s Meals on Wheels program has been serving older New Yorkers for more than 60 years. The program’s roots date back to 1964, when the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center launched New York City’s first Meals on Wheels program. Today, we continue that pioneering legacy by preparing and delivering nutritious meals to homebound older adults throughout Manhattan.

For many recipients, a meal delivery provides more than nourishment—it also offers regular wellness checks, social connection, and the reassurance that someone is looking out for them. Our experience delivering meals showed that many homebound older adults faced challenges beyond food insecurity. That insight led to expanded supportive services, connecting meal recipients with additional resources that help them remain healthy, safe, and independent.

Helping Older Adults Age in Place

Good nutrition is essential to maintaining health and independence, particularly for older adults who are homebound or unable to prepare meals on their own.

Our Meals on Wheels program helps older adults remain safely in their homes by providing reliable access to healthy meals while reducing food insecurity and social isolation. Working alongside our broader aging services, the program supports dignity, independence, and quality of life for older New Yorkers.

Fresh, Nutritious Meals

Meals are prepared in our professional kitchen by experienced culinary staff using menus that meet nutritional guidelines for older adults.

Our team works to provide meals that are both nutritious and enjoyable, recognizing that good food contributes not only to physical health but also to overall well-being.

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Serving Communities Across Manhattan

Today, our Meals on Wheels program serves eligible homebound older adults across Manhattan through dedicated service areas on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and West Harlem.

Who is Eligible?

• You must be 60 years or older
• Must be unable to prepare nutritious meals or have no one to do so for you
• Must be able to live safely at home if services are provided to you

Upper East Side

As the lead Meals on Wheels contractor for Manhattan’s Upper East Side, we deliver seven meals each week to eligible homebound older adults between East 59th Street and East 142nd Street. We work in partnership with Carter Burden Center, Union Settlement Association, and Roosevelt Island Senior Center.

Upper West Side & West Harlem

We deliver Meals on Wheels services to eligible homebound older adults throughout Manhattan’s Upper West Side and West Harlem, providing nutritious meals each week to help meet the needs of our community.

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Request Meals

If you or someone you know may be eligible for Meals on Wheels, please contact the office serving your neighborhood and ask to speak about the onboarding process: