Meals on Wheels Receives $500 Donation

NEWBURGH – Felix and Tabatha Bermejo live in New Windsor and work nights at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining. On Tuesday mornings, they drive directly from work to deliver food for Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh.

As members of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, they requested – and won – a $500 donation from their union to Meals on Wheels.

“When we moved to New Windsor from the Bronx a year and a half ago, we wanted to give back to our new community and help the elderly,” Felix Bermejo said. “So we did some research and saw that our local Meals on Wheels needed some volunteers.”

Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh, founded in 1972 by Frederica Warner, provides delicious, hot meals to people in need in Newburgh and New Windsor. There are no income or age restrictions for recipients.

“We both had heard of Meals on Wheels since we were kids, but we had no idea how rewarding this would be,” said Felix Bermejo, who was recently promoted to sergeant at the prison. “We love talking to the clients and getting to know them. For example, there’s Mr. B., who always has interesting stories of when he worked with a traveling circus. Or Mr. P., who talks about his day and his luck playing the lotto.

“They look forward to our visits, not just because they get a good, freshly prepared meal, but also because it gives them someone to talk to. And for the volunteers, it’s a very fulfilling experience. A person’s most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help. Being a part of Meals on Wheels and getting to know both the clients and the volunteers – it’s like having another family.”

To volunteer or donate, call 845-562-3490 or visit www.mealsonwheelsnewburgh.org.

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