Dear Friends of Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains,
As you know from media reports, United Hospital in Port Chester is closing its doors. For just over a year, since the closing of St. Agnes Hospital, United Hospital has been providing us with the meals that we serve our clients.
On December 21st we were notified that Friday, December 31st would be the last day that United Hospital could provide us with meals.
I am pleased to tell you that Meal-on-Wheels of White Plains will continue to serve its clients without any interruption in our weekday service. Effective Monday, January 3rd, Horizon Food Service Corporation of Mamaroneck, New York will be providing us with meals.
Horizon Food Service provides individualized meals to area schools that do not operate their own kitchens under the name of "Lunch with Lou," and provides meals to a homeless shelter, beach clubs and others. The corporations principals are Louis and Rosemary Riso who have many years of experience in the food service industry. I am also told they have an excellent eggplant parmigiana.
In addition, Meals-on-Wheels has also retained the services of Diane Lombardi, a dietitian recommended by the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs. She has 26 years of experience as a dietitian in a variety of settings including serving as Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Program Director for the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 12 years as a Nutritionist with the Westchester County Department of Health. In both of these positions Diane collaborated with agencies to ensure that proper nutritional guidelines and standards for taste and preparation were followed. She has also been a dietitian in a nursing home and a hospital.
It is said that in every crises, there lies an opportunity. In this case we will have the opportunity to develop a menu rotation designed specifically for Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains. At United Hospital we used a menu that was already in place another program, Meals-on-Wheels of Port Chester, Rye and Rye Brook.
To summarize where Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains stands:
- All meals will continue to be prepared to a no salt added and low cholesterol standard.
- We will continue to individualize the meals that we provide to accommodate the special needs of those on diabetic, renal or other diet.
- We will establish a menu rotation schedule of at least three weeks, possibly four weeks, but not as many as the six weeks used by meal delivery programs funded with federal dollars by Westchester County.
- We will survey our clients to assess their dietary preferences for menu planning purposes and as a means of program evaluation.
- Until a menu rotation is established we (the Horizon principals, Diane Lombardi and myself, Jeremy Kasman.) will plan our menu on a weekly basis.
- The menu for our first week of operation with Horizon Food Service Corporation has been distributed to all of our clients and is available upon request.
- Delivery time will remain unchanged. Volunteers will still begin their routes at White Plains High School starting at 11:30 a.m.
- Our weekday service will not be interrupted. The 12 clients that receive meals on Saturday will receive a double set of meals on Friday, December 31st.
As of today I have not updated our website with this information.
Thank you all for you interest and assistance.
Have a happy and healthy new year!
Best regards,
Jeremy
