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Amanda Delotelle

Dayton at Work and Play: Miami Valley Meals

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Conversation is with Amanda DeLotelle, Executive Director of Miami Valley Meals , a local nonprofit that started during the pandemic. I asked Amanda to give me a tour and tell me how Miami Valley Meals came about.
“Just before the pandemic hit, I lost my job when Citilites at the Schuster Center closed. Executive Chef and colleague, Matt DeAngulo reached out to see how we could help our neighbors facing food insecurity with an impending pandemic. Matt’s friend, Bill Evans (founder of Evan’s Bakery), connected us to the House of Bread and in short order, we recruited our food service pals to help support.”
“Approximately 40% of food goes to waste in the U.S. At the same time, 1 in 7 people in Montgomery County face food insecurity. We’re trying to help bridge that gap. We focus on what we’re good at – cooking – and collaborate with others who know how to take care of everything else. We get donated surplus food from Gordon Food Service, the Dayton Food Bank, NCR Country Club and many other places. Our team transforms this food into complete meals that are distributed through over 50 different nonprofits. Those nonprofits know how to get the food to the people who need it the most.
“We get a lot of help from volunteers. These volunteers from Premier Health that you’re photographing just plated 700 meals that are being loaded into our freezer. The meals can be reheated in the oven or in a microwave.”
“Our meals typically have a protein, starch, vegetable and dessert. Today’s meal consisted of southwest turkey stuffed peppers with green beans and lemon berry bread pudding. That sauce chef Laura let you taste is for the blackberry teriyaki wings that will be part of our next meal.”
“Anyone who would like to help by donating food, funds or by volunteering, can find out more at miamivalleymeals.org”

As a former businessman, I like the strategy of Miami Valley Meals. I like that you do only what you’re best at and then work with others to do everything else. But how do you do your part? How can anyone make 700 meals each day out of whatever food is donated?

“It is a challenge,” she told me. “Having a talented culinary team with years of varied experience and food backgrounds makes the difference.”
Our executive chefs are Laura Cotton (in the Miami Valley Meals shirt) and Angela Abnett (black hat). Laura was a chef at the Dayton Engineers Club and House of Bread previously, and has a Cajun and Creole cooking background. You can also catch her at the bar she co-owns – The Phone Booth Lounge. Angela was a chef at Citilites for many years. She makes the most wonderful vegetarian and vegan dishes. Taste them and you’d never miss the meat.”
Other chefs on our team bring different skills. Chef Marilyn (striped hat) joined us from the Goodwill Senior Community Service Employment Program and previously ran a kitchen at a large institution so she understands bulk cooking. Plus, she’s an amazing baker. We were thrilled she chose to stay on with us after her program ended.
Chef Julisa spent time studying hospitality and culinary at Ivy Tech in Indiana. Besides MVM, she works part-time at Sueno, an upscale Mexican eatery downtown as well as Blind Dogs, an elevated hot dog cart which you can regularly find in the Oregon District in warmer months.
In total, this is an amazingly experienced and creative team – just what you need to turn donated food into a great dining experience for our neighbors who are facing tough circumstances and could use a little light.
Volunteering at MVM

Join the scoop squad! The culinary team can always use an extra hand in the kitchen. Weekly, monthly, twice-a-year, whatever works for you.

They have volunteer opportunities for individuals or groups!

If you would like to register a GROUP to volunteer, please email taylor@miamivalleymeals.org to get started.

For more information on Miami Valley Meals go to our website: miamivalleymeals.org

Miami Valley Meals Has Served One Million Meals

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This week Miami Valley Meals sent out the one-millionth meal  out the door and is on its way to make someone’s day.
Founded in 2020 by furloughed culinary and hospitality professionals seeking to help their city during the pandemic, MVM has grown into a vital resource for addressing food insecurity in Greater Dayton, currently producing over 4,000 meals weekly.
This million meal milestone is something the MVMeals team is incredibly proud of, but it’s also a stark reminder of our community’s ongoing need for food.

This remarkable milestone is a testament to MVM’s mission of “Chefs transforming donated food into nutritious meals.” By collaborating with a network of nonprofit partners, MVM provides free, chef-prepared meals to those experiencing food insecurity while connecting them with additional supportive services through their partners.

Amanda DeLotelle

“Although reaching the one-million-meal mark speaks volumes to the talent and dedication of our team — and the incredible support of our volunteers, donors and grantors — it is a stark reminder that 1 in 7 in our community are not sure where their next nutritious meal will come from. There is much work to be done,” said Amanda DeLotelle, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Miami Valley Meals. “We remain committed to creating nutritious and convenient chef-prepared meals for those who need it, and we invite our community to help sustain this impactful work through volunteerism and donations.”

Founding Board Members Stan Troha and Daryl Adkins

Since its inception in 2020, MVM has grown its operations to distribute meals through 129 nonprofit partners, using approximately 90% donated or rescued food. As Miami Valley Meals approaches its 5th anniversary on March 25th, 2025, the organization continues to address two critical challenges: ensuring access to nutritious meals for individuals and families facing food insecurity and reducing food waste. MVM’s meals typically contain a protein, starch, vegetable and dessert. The organization also shares “direct donate” food items in times of surplus or when certain ingredients cannot be utilized in the meals, all of which contribute to the one-million-meal milestone.

Miami Valley Meals Emerges from Pandemic

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Chef Matt DeAngulo was the executive chef at Victoria Theatre Association’s Citilites at the Schuster Center and Event Services Department for nearly six years. In January of 2020 it was announced that they were closing down for renovations and a concept change, laying off all staff.

Chef Matt

Chef Matt, began volunteering more time with a local organization Set the Banquet Table, which was founded by baker and former Executive Director of House of Bread, Bill Evans.  And then COVID 19 hit. In mid-March, Chef Matt DeAngulo asked friend and 501c3 Set the Banquet Table Chairman, Bill Evans, the best way to help. A couple of conversations more and Chef Matt had activated a team of recently unemployed Chefs and culinary professionals to assist by quickly and efficiently bulk preparing nutritious food. They began their efforts at the House of Bread and shortly after, St. Vincent de Paul and eventually, The Life Enrichment Center. The team’s many volunteer hours were soon supplemented through a new fiduciary, Set the Banquet Table.

As word got out among the social services community, Chef Matt’s meals were in demand. In his quest to feed the hungry in the region the vision for Miami Valley Meals was born.  Using the skills of local chefs, they were able to use every bit of the donated food they received to create bulk nutritious meals to those in need. They started using the kitchen at the House of Bread, began working with St. Vincent De Paul and East End Community Services.

As the pandemic continued the vision grew by May  with a $250,000 grant from the Federal Cares Act, made possible through the Community Action Partnership, Miami Valley Meals morphed into more than just a vision, but a true business.  With a business plan that continues to grow and morph, the needs this organization can feed in the community are infinite.

Janice

Hiring Amanda DeLotelle as the Executive Director,  who had worked with Chef Matt as the Food And Beverage GM at Victoria Theatre, and then worked with Kohler Catering before being laid off due to COVID 19, and Chef Matt were the first two hires. they were also supported by many partners including The Food Bank, Hall Hunger Initiative, East End Community Services, The Department of Public Health, Declare and many more.

They’ve now been able to bring on three full time chefs, several cooks and Janice part time bookkeeper who also paints, builds, and has done welding projects for the  new space! Currently they have a staff of 10 and several key volunteers.  Other volunteers are needed drivers for  delivering meals to their partner, and in the future the plan for a garden will open up more volunteer opportunities.

With the  talents of chefs, financial support from contributors, and emotional support from many, it is the goal of Miami Valley Meals to serve groups who are currently in our area directly feeding those who are in need of nourishment.  They are currently working with 17 partner agencies and preparing an average of about 1500 meal each week, serving folks in Jamestown, Hamilton and all over the region. To date, they have compiled hundreds of volunteer hours and prepared more than 35,000 meals for underserved citizens in Dayton since our first day in the kitchen on March 24th.

 

They’ve just secured a building to serve as the hub of their packing and distribution center at the corner of Washington St. and Edwin C Moses, with a plan to raise the $330,000 it will take to buy the building, which will place them just minutes from Sinclair College and Ponitz Career Tech, where they would be abler to work with the culinary students from both schools to teach bulk food preparation and perhaps offer internships.

If you’d like to help Miami Valley Meals with a cash donation, please donate here.

Miami Valley Meals Wish list:
Food Carts,  plumbing services to install a mop and 3 compartments sinks, stainless tables, a cargo van, someone who could build a ramp at the building entry, painters for the building (the paint has been donated). For more information contact Amanda.sbtdayton@gmail.com

 

Chef Matt DeAngulo, Amanda DeLotelle and Bill Evans

Miami Valley Meals serves those that feed the hungry. If you work with an organization that is seeking assistance in feeding the hungry, see if it’s a good fit for Miami Valley meals by filling out this form.   If you are an individual in need of assistance, please use the 211 resource phone line.