Meal Service Closed, Homebound Residents Without Food

Approximately 4,500 senior citizens who are homebound rely on the Meals on Wheels service, which provides nutritious food delivered to their homes. But due to Hurricane Sandy heading down the east coast, those recipients had to do without visits today.

The service usually delivers a hot and a cold meal, and today's hot meal was supposed to be meatballs with stroganoff sauce, served with potatoes and mixed vegetables. But Mary McNamara, a spokeswoman for the Meals on Wheels Association of America, says it was unsafe for volunteers to drive, so food wasn't delivered today.

She says where possible volunteers dropped off additional cold meals yesterday. It's what the program calls, shelf stable food — meals like sandwiches, fruit cups and granola bars that can keep a few days. But that was possible for only half the clients they serve. So McNamara is urging neighbors to check in on seniors and see if they need anything.

When you have a senior who is homebound, they may be in distress, and they may lose power so it's extremely important that someone check on them.