“The “Power Lunch” raises over $1.4 million, enough to deliver 140,000 nourishing meals to older New Yorkers in need.”
The term “power lunch” was coined in 1979 by Esquire editor Lee Eisenberg. In the ’80s the Four Seasons, Mortimer’s and Michael’s were the power lunch hot spots. Just how powerful you were was delineated by exactly where you were seated. At the Plaza Hotel, around 400 people search for their seats at Citymeals on Wheels’ annual aptly titled “Power Lunch” benefit. I spot Karlie Kloss, PR princess Susan Magrino, fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, society scribes Zach Weiss and Derek Blasberg, Samantha Boardman Rosen, Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch and Brooke Shields, to name just a few. “Today is New York at its best. Style, purpose and real impact. Citymeals does extraordinary work,” Steven Beltrani tells me as we walk by designer Christian Siriano and Paul Ahnold. Nearby, Kathleen Turner laughs with Daniel and Katherine Gage Bolud.
ABC News’ enigmatic Deborah Roberts is the MC and Suri Kasirer, the CEO of Kasirer LLC, is presented with the Joan H. Weill Impact Award. “When I think of what led me to this organization, I think about my own father – a humble, grateful man who had a deep commitment to ensuring that everybody had food,” Kasirer says. “My father was rescued at 14 from Bergen Belsen concentration camp, where most people didn’t make it to day five. My father was a survivor. He was the most positive person I ever knew. He always saw the bright side of things, perhaps to mask his deep sadness. Food was a source of family connection and sustenance for the soul, something more than necessity – a source of dignity. Providing that dignity is what I cherish about Citymeals.”
Beth Shapiro stresses Citymeals’ mission to end hunger among older New Yorkers by 2040. With 1.8 million older adults in New York City, 1 in 10 are food insecure. The numbers seem staggering. “Citymeals builds real bonds. We foster real relationships,” Shapiro says before presenting a short film (narrated by Kathleen Turner) showing a deep connection between a volunteer and an older neighbor.
Citymeals delivers over 2.2 million meals each year to 22,000 homebound older New Yorkers. 90% of recipients feel that home-delivered food helps them live independently while maintaining their health. The “Power Lunch” raises over $1.4 million, enough to deliver 140,000 nourishing meals to older New Yorkers in need. – ALEXANDER HANKIN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY Stephanie Badini and Eric Vitale
