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Older Adult Center total meals
Provide community-based services to older New Yorkers. — Provide community-based nutrition opportunities to older New Yorkers.
Meals served at NYC Aging's Older Adult Centers were still recovering from COVID-19 pandemic disruptions during this period: the agency's own reporting notes that centers were "still working towards reaching pre-pandemic service levels" as of FY22-23, when meal service was well below the roughly 7.2-7.6 million meals served in FY19-20. The steady climb from 3.0 million meals in FY22 to 6.5 million in FY25 reflects that ongoing recovery in center attendance and reopened programming rather than a new trend.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Department for the Aging, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Department for the Aging, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 3,004,508 meals | Not available |
| FY23 | 5,548,305 meals | Not available |
| FY24 | 6,131,215 meals | Not available |
| FY25 | 6,452,188 meals | 8,338,069 meals |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 8,338,069 meals |
Why this is tracked
The federal Older Americans Act of 1965 established a nationwide aging network of federal, state and local agencies. New York City responded in 1968 by creating the Mayor's Office for the Aging as a federally funded demonstration project to plan, coordinate and fund services like nutrition and hot-meal programs for the elderly. In 1975, a charter amendment elevated the office into the Department for the Aging, and through the following decades its community-based offerings expanded to include senior centers, transportation, employment support, legal services and elder abuse services.
NYC Aging: History, New York City Department for the Aging - Wikipedia
Source: Bureau of Planning and Strategic Initiatives — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: Total number of meals served at Older Adult Centers (and affiliated) sites including Congregate meals (weekday and weekend breakfast, lunch and dinner), Grab & Go, and Meals on Heels.