QJCC Hopes To Get Meals Program Refunded

By Luis Gronda

Seniors in Queens who rely on having their daily meals delivered to them could have to find another way to get the food that they need.

The Forest Hills-based Queens Jewish Community Council is in danger of losing its City Meals-on-Wheels program due to a loss of funding.

The program has been delivering hot meals, such as meat, fish or chicken, to elderly residents throughout the Borough for the past five years.

According to Cynthia Zalinsky, executive director of the QJCC, the Meals On Wheels program was scheduled to be discontinued earlier this month, but received a reprieve until March 31 to come up with the money.

Zalinsky said that the program serves seniors that have an average age of 87.5 and a major reason that they need the food delivery is because it is hard for them to commute at their age.

“I would be concerned about malnutrition,” she said. “This is a life-sustaining program for them.”

Zalinsky said that they are now pleading to the public and reaching out to elected officials to help them money for the program.

She added that while the program is expensive for them to have, she feels that it must continue for the elderly that need the food on a daily basis.

“We just have this moral obligation to them and we can’t stop this program,” Zalinsky said.
The program at the QJCC is called Project CHAIM (Committed to providing the Homebound Aged and Infirmed with Meals). Chaim is the Hebrew word for life, Zalinsky said.

If you want to know more about the program or are interested in helping, please call the QJCC at (718) 544-9033. They are located at 119-45 Union Turnpike in Forest Hills.

Reach Reporter Luis Gronda at (718) 357-7400, Ext. 127 or at lgronda@queenstribune.com.