Queens Community House Delivers Ahead of Blizzard, Ensuring Older Adults Receive Critical Meals and Care

Queens, NY (February 23, 2026) — As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a local state of emergency ahead of a severe snowstorm expected to impact New York City — closing streets to non-essential traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday through 12 p.m. Monday and cancelling public school classes — Queens Community House mobilized quickly to ensure homebound older adults would not go without food or support.

With travel restrictions looming and heavy snowfall forecast, Queens Community House’s Home Delivered Meals and Older Adult Services Case Management team worked through the weekend to coordinate an early meal distribution. Supervisors collaborated with caterers to secure meal deliveries Sunday morning. Case managers personally called participants to alert them to the adjusted schedule, confirm they would be home, and ensure doors would be answered despite the unusual delivery day. Drivers then set out across Queens, delivering fresh, nutritious meals — and reassurance — ahead of the storm.

“To our older neighbors who rely on us, a snowstorm cannot mean an empty table,” said Ben Thomases, CEO of Queens Community House. “When the City issued its emergency declaration, our team immediately went into action. This is what community looks like — making sure the most vulnerable among us are cared for, no matter the weather.”

Queens Community House’s Case Management team, specialized in aging services, provides in-home assessments, benefits and entitlements assistance, and comprehensive care coordination. The program also connects older adults to home-delivered meals, homemaker and personal care, housekeeping services, telephone reassurance, assistance with shopping and laundry, and friendly visiting for homebound seniors.

For eligible older adults, Queens Community House offers nutritious hot meals prepared by its senior centers, as well as culturally responsive options including Kosher and Asian meals. Kosher and non-Kosher frozen meals are also available twice weekly to ensure consistent access to food.

As New York City braces for winter conditions, Queens Community House’s swift response underscores the essential role community-based organizations play during emergencies — delivering not just meals, but stability, safety, and human connection.

For more information about Queens Community House and its Older Adult Services, visit www.qchnyc.org.

About Queens Community House:
Queens Community House is one of the borough's largest nonprofit organizations, committed to serving the diverse neighborhoods of Queens. Serving more than 30,000 children, youth, adults, and older adults every year, QCH provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities. Through a broad network of programs, QCH offers Queens residents a needed support system at every stage of life, helping them to develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills to change their lives for the better and become active participants in their larger community. QCH opened its doors in 1975 and is excited to celebrate 50 years of impact and community building across the borough this year.