Sailors assigned to amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and Marines from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, helped feed senior citizens during a community relations event at the Carter Burden Luncheon Club & Senior Program (CBLC&SP) as part of 2016 Fleet Week New York (FWNY), May 26.

The Sailors and Marines split into two groups and walked throughout New York City's Upper East Side to deliver hot meals to senior citizens who are unable to leave their homes due to age and/or medical conditions.

"Giving back is always a great thing because it fulfills the soul," said Ship's Serviceman 2nd Class Jerome Lewis-Tinslew, a New York native. "Even though it's not the community I grew up in, it's nice to be able to give back and to show that Sailors and Marines are just regular people who want do what they can to help. I've really enjoyed being able to show the people what Sailors and Marines are really like."

Upon returning from their meal delivery routes, the Sailors donned hair nets and aprons to serve meals from the kitchen to the senior citizens that are able to come to the luncheon club. During the meal service, service members also interacted with the diners and answered various questions about their military service.

"You can really tell that our members get a real big kick out of having Sailors and Marines here," said Abigail Unger, CBLC&SP program director. "We have a lot of veterans here so we are always a very appreciative group and we love having service members here because they are always so ready and willing to help with anything that we need. We are grateful to have them here and we look forward to having them here again."

FWNY, held nearly every year since 1984, it is the city's celebration of the sea services. The weeklong event provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, and showcase sea service personnel, technology, and capabilities.

For up-to-date information on all FWNY events, visit the official FWNY website at www.fleetweeknewyork.com, "Like" FleetWeekNewYork on Facebook, or "Follow" @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter. FWNY photos can be viewed on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/fwnypao and Instagram at www.instagram.com/fleetweeknyc. Join the conversation on social media by using #FleetWeekNYC.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/.