Donation means 75 Long Island households immediately go off Meals on Wheels waiting list to receive daily, prepared meals
Uniondale, NY – November 1, 2018 — Starting today, 75 additional Long Island seniors will come off a waiting list and start receiving nutritious meals delivered to their homes thanks to EAC Network’s Meals on Wheels program and a new delivery van donated by PSEG Long Island.
Representatives from PSEG Long Island and EAC Network, along with state, county and North Hempstead Town officials, assembled this morning at Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park, where the new van was parked. Each of the dignitaries held a piece of the bright orange cloth that covered the van. At the count of three, the group lifted away the cloth to reveal the new van branded with the Meals on Wheels, EAC Network, and PSEG Long Island logos.
Keys to the van were handed over to EAC Network President & CEO, Lance W. Elder, by PSEG Long Island Vice President of Power Markets, Paul Napoli, who is also an EAC Network board member.
“PSEG Long Island has proudly supported Meals on Wheels for several years. That’s why sponsoring the van donation made sense,” said Napoli. “In addition to a fueled up van, our donation includes the funding for more than 3,000 prepared frozen meals that can be delivered to households in advance of a weather emergency when Meals on Wheels drivers cannot get out. This is just one of many ways we’re assisting seniors in our area. We are committed to assisting the communities in which we live and serve.”
“We are proud to partner with PSEG Long Island in the fight against senior hunger,” said Carol O’Neill, EAC Network’s Senior Director of Senior & Nutrition Services. “The new delivery van is ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ and thanks to their generosity, thousands of Nassau County seniors will receive the gift of nourishing food.”
“Through the generosity of PSEG Long Island, EAC Network’s Meals on Wheels program will now be able to serve dozens more homebound senior citizens in North Hempstead who were previously on a waiting list for meal delivery,” said Judi Bosworth, North Hempstead Town Supervisor. “What makes this gift even more special is that PSEG Long Island volunteers will be delivering those meals. Meals on Wheels drivers and volunteers do more than just deliver a meal — they bring the outside world to seniors who live alone and are isolated. Thanks to PSEG Long Island, this new delivery van will now help serve more people who will benefit from the program.”
Following the unveiling, more than a dozen PSEG Long Island volunteers hopped inside the new van and went off to visit appreciative Nassau seniors who are on the Meals on Wheels program.
Throughout the year, several PSEG Long Island employees volunteer as delivery drivers for the program — offering friendly faces, human contact and fresh food. This van will help Meals on Wheels volunteers make deliveries more expeditiously.
“When you turn on a light you might not think about PSEG Long Island. However, after today, 75 homebound seniors can think of PSEG Long Island as a new friend who delivers Meals on Wheels,” said Anthony D’Urso, New York State Assembly member. “I am honored to be here as PSEG Long Island donates a new food delivery van to EAC Network’s Meals on Wheels.”
EAC Network is the largest provider of Meals on Wheels in Nassau County, home to more than 290,000 people 60-years-old and older. Food is a basic human need, and marginalized seniors often have to choose between their next meal and other expenses, such as medical needs. EAC Network provides healthy meals, nutrition education, connections to additional social services, and friendly visitors to homebound seniors. Furthermore, the program provides more than just food: drivers and volunteers deliver a smile, friendly visit, companionship, and socialization – valuable contact for those who live alone.
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About EAC Network
EAC Network is a diverse not-for-profit human service agency that empowers, assists, and cares for over 82,000 children, families, and seniors in crisis across Long Island and New York City. Among those we help are children who have been abused or who are in foster care, people struggling with addiction or mental illness, vulnerable seniors, individuals seeking gainful employment, and more. For more information, visit us at www.eac-network.org, call (516) 539-0150, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @EACNet.
About PSEG Long Island
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $9.1 billion
Contact:
PSEG Long Island Media Relations Pager │ (516) 229-7248 │ mediarelationsli@pseg.com
