Meals on Wheels of New Rochelle to Hold Gala Benefit

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, Meals on Wheels of New Rochelle is throwing itself a gala.

The event will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. at Beckwith Pointe, 700 Davenport Ave. in New Rochelle.

Board President Phillis Maucieri said there will be an open bar, dinner and an auction.

"We've partnered with the New Rochelle Arts Association," she said, "and they are donating art for us to auction."

There will also be a Big Apple Raffle, with winners getting an iPad, mini-iPad or an iPod Touch, Maucieri said.

Four New Rochelle women civic leaders will be honored at the event, she said. They are Meals on Wheels of New Rochelle founding member and past president Betty Grad-Gross, New Rochelle Public Library President Haina Just-Michael, New Rochelle Board of Education Trustee Chrisanne Petrone and Meals on Wheels of New Rochelle volunteer Marlene Tutera.

Maucieri said the organization is independent and relies on donations and the gala for funding.

"This year, we are going to get some funding through the city's Community Development Block Grant," she said, adding that it was $3,000.

The organization currently serves 35 to 40 New Rochelleans, Maucieri said.

They have to be homebound and not able to cook or shop for themselves.

Meals for prepared at and picked up from Sound Shore Medical Center.

There was some concern, Maucieri said, that their relationship with the hospital would change with the takeover by Montefiore Medical Center.

"But they said they realize the importance of the organization to the community and agreed to continue," she said.

"It's better that we have a relationship with a hospital," Maucieri said, because many of the Meals on Wheels clients have special dietary needs and the hospital already knows how to provide those.

Clients of the organization get a hot meal every day of the week, with the option of getting a sandwich for later as well.

But, Maucieri said, it's more than that.

"It's a contact," she said.

"I think that's probably the most important thing they are doing," Maucieri said. "Now they are not as isolated. Someone is checking in on them."

For information on the organization and the gala benefit, see the Meals on Wheels of New Rochelle Web site.