Fresh Food For Seniors Program Expanding To Roosevelt Island Announces Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer - Starts October 12 To Order

 Image From Manhattan Borough President's Office

According to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Office:

In 2012, Borough President Brewer partnered with GrowNYC, the Department for the Aging, and more than a dozen senior centers to deliver fresh, locally-grown fruit and vegetables for just $8 a bag. This year, the Fresh Food for Seniors program has expanded to include neighborhoods stretching from the West Village to Northern Manhattan!

Seniors pay $8 for a bag containing five-to-six varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables – a retail value of $18 to $20. Orders are pay-as-you-go, one week ahead of each delivery date. Fresh Food for Seniors allows seniors to sign up for just one order at a time so that they can decide how much food they need, when they need it....

During August 5 Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting with NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer reported on the Fresh Food For Seniors Program.



At the time of the August 5 Town Hall Meeting, the Fresh Food For Seniors Program was not available for Roosevelt Island but Ms. Brewer encouraged residents to ask for it.

At the conclusion of the Town Hall meeting, Roosevelt Island Seniors Association VP Wendy Hersh requested that Roosevelt Island be included in the Fresh Food For Seniors program.

During September 9 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Public Session, Ron Davidson described the Fresh Food For Seniors Program and explained that the program was not yet available on Roosevelt Island but he accessed the program through NYC Council Member Corey Johnson's office.



Well, here's some good news.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office announced yesterday, September 23:

Today, Borough President Gale A. Brewer announced her office’s Fresh Food for Seniors program is expanding to cover Roosevelt Island. The program currently makes pre-packed bags of fresh, locally-sourced produce available to seniors every two weeks in the West Village, Chelsea, Clinton, the Upper West Side, Upper Yorkville, East Harlem, and northern Manhattan for just $8 per bag on a pay-as-you-go basis.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to do with this program in just three short years,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, who started the Fresh Food for Seniors program on the Upper West Side in 2012, when she served as that neighborhood’s Council Member. “For just $8 a bag, this program pays for itself while delivering healthy, fresh produce to seniors right in their neighborhoods at a tremendous value.”

The Roosevelt Island Senior Association will partner with the Borough President’s office, collecting and distributing orders at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center, located at 546 Main Street. The Fall 2015 order and pickup dates for the new Roosevelt Island program are as follows:

Place orders Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 12-13, 1pm-3pm

Pick-up Wednesday, Oct. 21, 3pm-6pm


Place orders Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 26-27, 1pm-3pm

Pick-up Wednesday, Nov. 4, 3pm-6pm


Place orders Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 9-10, 1pm-3pm

Pick-up Wednesday, Nov. 18, 3pm-6pm

The produce for the Roosevelt Island program will be purchased through Greenmarket Co., the wholesale division of GrowNYC, and will be packed by volunteers at the Fulton Senior Center in Chelsea, before being transported to the Roosevelt Island Senior Center.

More info from Ms. Brewer on Fresh Food For Seniors here.