Dan's GrillHampton 2023 Benefits East Hampton Meals on Wheels

With food insecurity affecting at least 2.7% of Long Islanders and on the rise due to drastic increases in food prices, it is more important than ever to ensure the most vulnerable among us are nourished. At East Hampton Meals on Wheels, their mission is just that: to provide healthy, delicious meals to homebound residents.

Not only do they help to ensure residents don’t go hungry — their daily deliveries also combat loneliness, says East Hampton Meals on Wheels president, James Lubetkin. “For many of the people living alone, the only human contact they get is from the person delivering them meals.”

Lubetkin, 81, has been president for the last two years and volunteered for five years before that. A Vietnam veteran, he values doing good in the community. “I feel good doing it,” he says.

As do, surely, the other 75 some odd volunteers who help keep East Hampton Meals on Wheels running year after year, packing, driving, and delivering meals to residents. They partner with East Hampton Kitchen, a local business run by “well-regarded caterer Annie Washburn,” notes Lubetkin. Meals consist of one cold lunch and one hot dinner, which include proteins, vegetables, starches, and fiber, as well as beverages and fruit.

“They are very nourishing meals,” says Lubetkin, recalling that recipients have expressed their delight in how tasty the meals are.

Over 55% of their recipients make contributions to supplement the cost of their meals ($75 for one week, $300 for one month, $3,600 for one year), which are delivered Monday through Friday, even on holidays. They also provide frozen meals for weekends if requested, and even in advance of any expected inclement weather events that may hinder delivery efforts. For the other 45% who are unable to contribute, the organization relies on donations from supporters, as well as a $20,000 grant from the Town of East Hampton.

“We are extremely affluent out here, but we forget the fact that the town of East Hampton has the highest poverty rate in Suffolk County,” notes Lubetkin (at 12.4%, the rate is nearly double the county average of 6.4%).

However, Lubetkin makes it a point to add that this service is not about income — anyone can request it. First and foremost it is about those who, for one reason or another, are homebound or unable to cook for themselves. There was a 20% increase in recipients from 2021 to 2022, and they expect an additional increase of 8% this year.

“We believe that the pandemic contributed to it,” he says. “We just saw people staying home more.” He notes that there was a large increase in people moving to the area full-time, also due to the pandemic, which may have contributed to the increase.

To keep those services going, Lubetkin stresses the importance of having volunteers and donors, and how rewarding it is to participate. “You give twice,” he says, “You give to the community and you give to yourself.”

Speaking of his “favorite client,” a widow who turns 93 this month without means of transportation or relatives in the area, Lubetkin says, “I see her every Monday, and she depends on us.”

A portion of Dan’s GrillHampton ticket sales will be donated to East Hampton Meals on Wheels. Visit the East Hampton Meals on Wheels booth at the event. For more info, visit ehmealsonwheels.org.

Visit DansTaste.com for more information and tickets to GrillHampton.