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Miami Valley Meals

10 Q’s with Miami Valley Meals Chef Angela Abnett & Laura Cotton

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Miami Valley Meals began feeding food insecure Dayton area residents early in the pandemic.  The nonprofit sources most of its ingredients from donated and reclaimed foods from commercial food distributors and organizations like the Dayton Foodbank.

Executive Chef Angie Abnett

Lead by a team of two talented executive chefs, Angie Abnett and Laura Cotton transform recovered (a.k.a. “rescued”) foods into hearty and nutritious prepared meals that are then distributed to a network of about 50 nonprofit partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge.

As they celebrate their 4th anniversary this month Miami Valley Meals have provided over 800,00 meals to 116 partners in 36 zip codes in the Greater Dayton region. They have used over 560,000 pounds of recovered food to create those meals.

Executive Chef Laura Cotton

 

The chefs plan meals using the received ingredients and send them packaged to other nonprofits distribution. As they explain, each day is like an episode of the TV showChopped. We never know what ingredients will be donated and each day they have to figure out how to create a nutritious meal from the assorted food components on hand.

Their model aims to reduce food waste in the supply chain and also in our own facility. Chefs Laura and Angie lead their team to create nourishing meals made with love that honor the dignity of people in need.

We asked both executive Chefs to take on our 10 Question interview and here’s how they answered:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

AA: I love cooking with cabbage. It is so versatile- you can make a slaw, sauerkraut, kimchi, salad for a sandwich or add it to a meal.

MV Meals chefs created 3 spice blends as a fundraiser.

LC: I love experimenting with herbs and spices; when it’s all said and done, I can add whatever Iwant to it and go from there. By experimenting with different herbs and spices, I’ve gotten to create my own special blend with Miami Valley Meals, The Give Back Garlic Blast. We have three spices in total that are available for sale at Dot’s, Gem City Market, The Co, Kettering Hospital gift shops, Amazon, and are adding more shops.

What ingredient do you dread?
AA: Deboning cooked Turkey Legs because the pin bones are so sharp and dangerous.
Plus, it grosses me out!

LC: I detest lamb. I can deal with anything else, but I really don’t like the smell or gaminess of lamb.

Chef Angie supervising mals about to go through the packaging machine.

What’s your favorite dish to make?

AA: Cabbage rolls hold a special place in my heart. The crafting process reflects generations of culinary expertise and family tradition. I particularly enjoy adding a vegan twist to a culinary classic.

LC: Seafood jambalaya – it brings me back to my New Orleans roots and one of my favorite places in the whole world.

What’s your favorite pig out food?
AA: Mashed potatoes are one of my favorites. I have wonderful memories of having mashed potatoes on Sundays at Grandma Shirley’s. It is my comfort food for sure.

LC: My favorite salty food to pig out on are potato chips. Nothing fancy, but if I want something more I make a homemade onion dip. As for something sweet to pig out on, it would be ice cream, specifically dutch chocolate almond or anything with coffee. On a really good day, I might do both.

 

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

AA: Amar India is my favorite, I’m vegan and they always accommodate my allergies and have a lot of plant based options. I always receive great service and a beautiful meal every time.

LC: Disappointing everyone here, but my guilty pleasure is Waffle House – it’s always there for me and it’s open 24/7. My favorite location would be the one across from The Greene on Indian Ripple Road where our server knows us and our order. My boyfriend and I go there often.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?
AA: Always try something new with a recipe or ingredient. If you fail it’s okay, try again. Practice makes the perfect meal.

LC: A few pieces of advice: have fun, relax and don’t be afraid to try something new because it could come out wonderful and if it doesn’t, no worries, you’re at home and can hide the evidence.

Chef Lauara accepting a donation.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
AA: My 4 guests would be: Mary Locke (my great grandmother), Eula Myers (my grandmother), Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child. They are a few of my favorite culinary influences. I would love to prepare them a vegan spin on their own culinary classics. I enjoy the challenge.

LC: My favorite dining experiences involve chaotic family functions. Food is love and I can’t think of anything better than a busy home with all my favorite people and some of the best meals I’ve ever had.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
AA: I have always admired Julia Child. As a hardworking and driven chef, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pushing culinary boundaries. At Miami Valley Meals I have to embrace new challenges daily with creativity. Working with donated food can be a challenge, constantly learning and testing different dishes with the ingredients given. Pushing culinary boundaries is a must in the food rescue industry.

LC: Honestly, I look up to anyone and everyone who has worked in this industry for any length of time. It takes a certain special person to be able to do this job.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
AA: I’m always trying out different vegan dishes at home. Crafting my own vegan proteins, fermenting something, or baking breads. I am in two Local bands in Dayton, Ohio. Somersault is an educational rock band, driven by our passions and life experiences. Radar is an indie rock band, with punk rock influences, poetry and rock n roll. I am a drummer in both bands. I add vocal support to Somersault giving me the courage to sing lead songs in the band Radar. On a day I’m free from musical projects, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, gardening and reading a good book.

LC: When the weather is nice, I love to explore any of the wonderful parks around the Dayton area, whether it be with my boyfriend or a good friend. If the weather is bad, I love to sit on the couch and read a good book with my cat in my lap.

The team preparing thanksgiving meals to give away.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
AA: When I was 11 or 12 years old, my mom had a work trip so I stayed with our close family friends. I asked if I could make dinner and they said “sure”, assuming I knew my way around the kitchen. Confidently, I prepared the pork chops, frying them in a skillet for over 45 minutes or so until they were very golden brown. I even prepared instant mashed potatoes and canned vegetables.

During dinner I realized Carl was having a hard time eating the pork chop. I asked him if it was good? He replied yes, “didn’t know you could make pork chop jerky.” He said he was really enjoying it. In reality, the pork chops were burnt and dried out completely. A few days later, after my mom returned home, they told her about the meal, “We let her make dinner, didn’t realize she didn’t know how to cook.”

LC: On an incredibly busy day about 12 years ago, our small team was prepping for four events in our very small kitchen. I was focused on a traditional English high tea meal, while my sous chef was across the kitchen running the hot side.

Unbeknownst to me, some dried pasta had fallen under one of the burners he was working on. I paused to ask if anyone wanted to try some smoked cheese that was part of my dish. My sous replied, “No, I want this fire to go out,” which alerted me to the flames quickly growing from our stove. Realizing salt was no match for this fire, we quickly pulled all the pots and pans and conquered it with a fire extinguisher.

My son, who was on his first server shift ever, witnessed the fire debacle with a shocked face and asked, “does this happen a lot?” to which my Geoff, my sous replied, “first time.”

Being the head chef means you are often putting out fires, both figuratively and literally – and thankfully on this day, we were still able to get out all of our dishes, clean up the mess and even snack on some of that smoked cheese.

Miami Valley Meals

937-938-7141

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.
More info here.

With your support, MV Meals can continue providing thousands of meals per month to families and individuals in need across the Miami Valley, providing convenience, comfort, and dignity to those experiencing food insecurity. Donate here.

New Diced in Dayton Champ Named

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Tonight over 250 guests were at Top of the Market for the 2nd annual “chopped” inspired fundraiser, Diced in Dayton fundraiser to  benefit Miami Valley Meals. A dozen chefs volunteered their time to make an appetizer from a mystery they were given.  Guest then tasted the dishes created by our Chefs and voted for their favorite. Just like the Chefs at Miami Valley Meals– chefs are challenged to create a tasty meal from the mystery ingredients.

Each week Valley Meals (MVM) recovers and transforms donated food into meals which are then distributed through a network of nonprofit partner organizations that feed the hungry. They provide over 4,000 nourishing meals made with love that honor the dignity of people in need.

There were 4 different boxes.
Box A contained beef brisket, red & white quinoa, fresh peppers and dates.

Chef Gavin St Denis from Corner Kitchen, Chef Waver Howard from Creative Delights Catering and Chef Ashley Ashbrooks from Blind Dogs got this box.

Box B had ground turkey, fresh beets, hominy and pumpkin puree.
Chef Jasmine Brown from De’Lish, Chef Matt Thomas from Ellie’s At the Mills Hotel and Chef Chris Spiritos from Greek Street took on these ingredients

Box C was loaded with pork cushion meat, yellow squash, sweet potatoes and corn flakes.
Chef Nate Lansangan from KungFU BBQ, Chef Santiago Herrera from Napales and Chef Chris Coherd from Gather by Ghostlight created from these ingredinets.

Box D had a whole, chicken, fresh tomatoes, yellow spilt peas and quick oats.
Chef Patrick Thompson from redBerry, Che Gail from Bella Sorella Pizza Co. and Chef Gerald Richardson of Rich Taste Catering  were given this box.

Guests were amazed and the quality and variety of food they got to taste tonight!

Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice

Guests made the rounds of all the Chef Tables and voted for their favorite.  A panel of judges also picked their favorite.  In a weird coincidence both the people and the judges both voted Chef Gerald Richardson were voted first place.

The evenings finale was a true “Chopped” cook off between Chef Gerald and 2nd place finisher Chef Gavin St Denis from Corner Kitchen.

These 2 chefs then faced off in a final cookoff. They were presented with a mystery box that had an assortment of mushrooms, a box of Uncle Boof’s World Famous PancakeMix and a jar of Golden Madras Curry Sauce. They also had use of pantry ingredients and 2 burners.  In front of a huge crowd, they were given 25 minutes to create a dish.  Chef Gerald created a dish he called “Almost Shrimp & Grits” while Chef Gavin’s dish was “Mushroom Pancakes Puttanesca.” After a quick deliberatin, Chef Gavin St. Denis from Corner Kitchen was named the Diced Champion for 2023.

Preliminary totals indicated over $34,00 was raised via sponsors, ticket sales, raffle and wine pull.

 

Food Lovers Fundraiser For Miami Valley Meals This Tuesday

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Sample tastes from your favorite local chefs and support a great cause at the Diced in Dayton Chef’s Challenge this coming Tuesday at Top of the Market.  Diced is an interactive, food-filled event that showcases and celebrates the creativity of local chefs as they craft unique dishes from a set of mystery ingredients. Participating chefs must meet the challenge that MVM chefs face each day: how to transform unpredictable ingredients into something new and delicious.  Each chef was presented with a mystery box of 4 ingredients and will transform them into a great bite for all of the guests. Guests will delight in the ingenuity and flavor of the dishes while learning about what Miami Valley Meals does to help those who are food insecure in our community. At the end of the night, one chef will be named champion.
Featuring a dozen chefs from Bella Sorella Pizza Co, Blind Dogs, Creative Delights Catering, Corner Kitchen, De’Lish Cafe, Gather by Ghostlight, Greek Street, Kung Fu BBQ,  Napales, Rich Taste Catering, redBerry, You won’t want to miss this chance to enjoy great food for a great cause at the one-and-only Diced in Dayton.
General admission ticket – $75
-6:00 p.m. entry
-Sample tastes from 8 chefs
-Cast a vote for your favorite dish
VIP ticket – $150
-Early entry for VIP-exclusive happy half-hour at 5:30 p.m.
-2 free drink tickets
-Access to reserved VIP seating area
-Sample tastes from all 12 chefs
-Cast a vote for your favorite dish
-Free deck of Dayton Foodie cards ($30 value)
-Random chance to taste and judge in the final round
Purchase your ticket online here.
About Miami Valley Meals: Miami Valley Meals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides delicious chef-inspired meals to Daytonians experiencing food insecurity. Since we first launched our program in 2020, our team of professional chefs have recovered thousands of pounds of surplus food from a variety of local sources and transformed it into more than 580,000 meals for our hungry neighbors. These fresh and hearty meals are distributed free of charge throughout the Miami Valley by our network of nonprofit partners in an effort to help residents thrive.

Diced in Dayton Chef Competition Returns!

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Launched last year, this fundraiser for Miami Valley Meals returns on Tuesday, Sept 19th at Top of the Market.  Diced in Dayton is an interactive, food-filled event that showcases and celebrates the creativity of local chefs as they craft unique dishes from a set of mystery ingredients. Guests vote for their favorite and the two chefs who get the most votes will compete “Chopped” style to create a dish from a box of ingredients they are given right then and there.   A panel of judges will evaluate the final two dishes and declare a winner.

2022 Diced Chefs

For your chance to  enjoy delicious bites and support a great cause you can purchase tickets to support Miami Valley Meals here.

General admission ticket – $75

  • 6:00 p.m. entry
  • Sample tastes from 8 chefs
  • Cast a vote for your favorite dish

VIP ticket – $150

  • Early entry for VIP-exclusive happy half-hour at 5:30 p.m.
  • 2 free drink tickets
  • Access to reserved VIP seating area
  • Sample tastes from all 12 chefs
  • Cast a vote for your favorite dish
  • Free deck of Dayton Foodie cards ($30 value)
  • Random chance to taste and judge in the final round

Miami Valley Meals team of chefs transform recovered (a.k.a. “rescued”) foods into hearty and nutritious prepared meals that are then distributed to a network of nonprofit partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge. They currently distribute an average of ~4,000 meals per week to 45+ partners per month.

Miami Valley Meals Introduces Chef-Crafted Spice Blends For 3rd Anniversary

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Miami Valley Meals uses chef-led teams to  transforms recovered (a.k.a. “rescued”) foods into hearty and nutritious prepared meals that are then distributed to a network of nonprofit partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge. They currently distribute an average of 3,700 meals per week to 45+ partners per month.

These meals play a critical role in the full spectrum of services that help the underserved people in our communities. By providing our network of partner organizations with free meals, we bolster their food inventory and free up resources for their other programs, such as providing shelter, healthcare services, addiction recovery programs, and other assistance.

As part of their 3rd anniversary Miami Valley Meals has just introduced 3  chef-crafted spice blends. These blends are uniquely crafted by MVM chefs Angie, Laura, and Patricio and produced locally in partnership with Big Axe Spice.

Free of salt, sugar, and gluten, these spice blends are friendly for any diet and flexible enough to use in just about anything! From meats and marinades to dips and snacks, the possibilities are endless.

Each purchase supports our mission to transform donated food into nutritious meals for the hungry in Dayton.

The Root of Love

Chef Angie’s spice blend is specifically crafted for root vegetables, though it can double as a multi-purpose savory spice.

Try it with: roasted root vegetables, shrimp, or rice

Give Back Garlic Blast

Chef Laura’s garlic blend is a flavor explosion that will elevate any savory dish.

Try it with: burgers and ribs on the grill

Feel Good Fusion

Chef Patricio’s spice blend celebrates the best of Latin and Italian flavors, perfect for adding flair to meats, marinades, dressings, and more.

Try it with: a bit of lime juice and olive oil to create a salad dressing

Miami Valley Meals to Host Turkey Takeaway Event For Families in Need

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For a third consecutive year, Miami Valley Meals (MVM) will host a Turkey Takeaway event for those in need across the Miami Valley. The event will be presented by sponsor and partner, The Feast of Giving and will be held on 11/23/22.

The Feast of Giving is an annual Dayton Holiday tradition providing Thanksgiving fare and festive fellowship. This community affair has served over 7,000 guests yearly since 2009 and was most recently enjoyed in the Dayton Convention Center in 2019. The pandemic put the event on hold and MVM was happy to step in to support through meals. The Feast of Giving looks forward to their community event in the future but is happy to support MVM’s efforts to ensure all have a meal to enjoy this holiday.

“The Feast of Giving is both excited and honored to support MVM for a second year in sharing a common goal of providing Thanksgiving meals to those who need them in our community,” said Dr. Stephen Levitt, team member of the Feast of Giving. “These meals are prepared, provided and served with dignity.” Dr. Levitt goes on to say, “We wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday, and we look forward to the return of the Feast of Giving in the future.”

MVM has prepared and distributed over 400,000 meals since its inception in March 2020 with tremendous community and partner support. Over 20,000 of those meals were distributed during previous Turkey Takeaway events. MVM is prepared to continue this tradition of service with love and fellowship this holiday season.

Distributions will take place the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 23, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Trotwood-Madison High School and the University of Dayton Arena. Guests are to stay in their vehicles, follow signage for the drive-through, and meals will be placed in their vehicles. This is a first come, first served event.

In addition, MVM has once again partnered with the Dayton Young Black Professionals to add two smaller satellite locations in West Dayton with locations to be announced later in October. Distributions at these satellite locations will be from 12 p.m to 3 p.m. Lastly, MVM has gained an additional partner this year in the Fairborn Phoenix Foundation who will also run a distribution from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fairborn Phoenix Theater on Broad St. in Fairborn.

“MVM is able to amplify our service during the holiday with the support of the Feast of Giving and of numerous partner organizations who are making a difference every day,” said MVM Executive Director, Amanda DeLotelle. “Our community is made up of helpers, who are deeply invested in progress and its people, and we thank each and every person who puts their trust in us to provide warmth and nourishment through our meals to those who need it.”

Volunteer opportunities will be announced throughout this month on MVM’s website  and its social media channels (@MiamiValleyMeals on Facebook and Instagram).

10 ?’s with Chef Matt DeAngulo

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Chef Matt

Chef Matt DeAngulo was the opening chef for Olive, an urban dive in 2011 and then served as 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, 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 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.

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.

Matt guides the culinary team to transform recovered foods into hearty, chef-inspired meals to be distributed to a network of partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge.

Chef Matt took time out of creating over 3500/meals per week to answer our 10 questions:

 

What ingredient do you dread? Beans! They are like eating a Tylenol capsule filled with applesauce. The plastic-like outer skin and a mushy center, no thanks! Honestly, I enjoy the flavor of beans, just not the texture, so to put that as my dreaded ingredient is a bit selfish. Kidding aside, I will have to say offal meats are my least favorite ingredients to work with.

What’s your favorite dish to make? A dish I call Rotolino. It was created by my mentor, Chef Dennis McCarthy, and passed along to me. I use it as a teaching technique (similar to foie gras torchon) with young chefs and everyone gets to enjoy the result. It consists of 4 cheeses, 3 pestos, and pinenuts, rolled up to make a pinwheel that screams Italian on an American table.

What’s your favorite pig out food? Midwestern home cooking. I can eat meatloaf stuffed with mac-n-cheese and wrapped in bacon until I have to lay down. I may create modernist cuisine professionally, but I can never escape the meat and potato in me.

What restaurant, other than your own, do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley? There are many wonderful places to dine in our region to carve out just one. I tend to find myself in a booth at any ma and pop kitchen I come across, looking for that genuine heartfelt creation. Yet to put a spotlight on the best we have around, I have enjoyed experiencing what Chef Wiley has done at her restaurants over the years, along many of the other greats that have come and gone, but truly the props go out to all of those independents getting up everyday and cooking their hearts out.

What’s your best advice for home chefs? Learn flavor structure, the 5 basic flavors and how to balance them. It is the building block for all successful dishes. I have run into so many chefs that learned how to cook a dish by watching someone but never took the time to learn why it worked well. How to balance flavors to dishes you already make will change the outcome; I guarantee.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party, who would they be and why? That is a difficult answer to locate. So many have influenced me and I feel are worthy to mention. However to choose a group, Thomas Keller would always be someone I would like to dine with, as he is America’s greatest chef. Add the late Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey because they will tell you like it is, plus Bill Murray because he would never stop laughing, and that would be an entertaining evening with great food!

Who do you look up to in the industry and why? All of those old skoolers. The ones who worked to the end, never giving up, and wearing the honor with their crews. The ones who stayed to hone their craft. And the many young chefs I watch, that one in every one-hundred cooks you meet that will become a chef in their own right, are the ones I look up to today.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off? I spend it with the people I love. My hobbies are my passion and I usually end up near a place with food. You can find me out in nature, at a ballgame or concert, or resting watching a movie, but it always ends with food.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story: Many years ago, I was hired as a new corporate chef for an independent dining group in downtown Columbus. Two weeks into my tenure was Easter Sunday. I spent the week prepping and setting up the usual. I was all ready to go. Turns out, the night before was graduation day for OSU, and I had no idea of the amount of people we would serve, since I was from out of town. Needless to say, I ended up using much of my Easter prep to complete dinner service that night. After the shift ended, myself, my sous chef and her wife (also a cook) stayed through the night and into the next day restocking the menu. That Easter we served over 800 guests and no one had any idea I was on a 32 hour straight shift to make it happen. That was the longest shift of my career.

Miami Valley Meals Celebrates 2nd Anniversary

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Miami Valley Meals, a nonprofit organization that turns donated food items into chef-prepared meals for those in need, marks its second anniversary today, March 25, 2022.

The organization as it exists today began with friends and former co-workers from the culinary industry providing pandemic-relief support to the House of Bread and St. Vincent de Paul. Soon, with initial funding from the Miami Valley Community Action Partnership and with food contributions from The Foodbank, the group began preparing and donating meals to various nonprofit organizations across the Miami Valley that were already providing services to the hungry.

Throughout the organization’s lifetime, Miami Valley Meals (MVM) has provided 304,000 meals to 34 zip codes and has recovered 247,000 pounds of food from 30 sources. MVM prepares an average of 3,540 meals each week that are distributed to the hungry by an average of 40 distribution partners per month.

“Early on, we recognized the tremendous work that dedicated nonprofits were already doing to address the hunger problem in our area,” said Amanda DeLotelle, Executive Director of MVM. “To be most effective in reaching hungry folks, we decided to take advantage of those existing pathways. The meals are free to the nonprofits, resulting in people being fed and more room in their budget to connect individuals with other wrap-around services.”

Over the past year, MVM transformed its headquarters on Edwin C. Moses to a fully operational kitchen so all meals can be prepared and packaged in one place. Previously, the group’s culinary operations were made possible by host kitchens at the Life Enrichment Center, Our Lady of the Rosary Church, and through a partnership with Daybreak by leasing space at Lindy’s Bakery.

“We are thankful for all of the support we have received from our partners, the coalition, and the community. Without it, we would not have been able to ‘Serve those who serve the hungry,’” said DeLotelle. “As we transitioned from being a bandaid operation to becoming a bridge to the future, we have grown to be more efficient and more purposeful. We are unwavering in our commitment to create meals made with love, and we are dedicated to being a cornerstone of support for those in the fight against food insecurity.”

How You Can Help:

Make a cash donation!
Miami Valley Meals is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is primarily funded by grants and donations. Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and continue “Serving Those Who Serve the Hungry.” All contributions are tax deductible.

Donate here.

Volunteer!

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

All volunteer opportunities are posted to their Point page.  Visit their page to sign up. Point is accessible on web browsers by visiting pointapp.org or via the Point app available for free download on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Miami Valley Meals to Host Turkey Takeaway Meals For Thanksgiving

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For the second year in a row, Miami Valley Meals (MVM) will host a Turkey Takeaway Event for those in need across the Miami Valley. The event is being held this year with support from presenting sponsor, the Feast of Giving.

The Feast of Giving is an annual Dayton Holiday tradition providing Thanksgiving fare and festive fellowship. This community affair has served over 7,000 guests per year since 2009 and was most recently enjoyed in the Dayton Convention Center in 2019. The event was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic is forcing the event not to be held this year.

Although Daytonians will not be able to gather together for the Feast of Giving this year, the organization is supportive of MVM’s efforts to ensure all have a meal to enjoy this holiday.

Dr. Stephen Levitt, team member of the Feast of Giving, had this to say,

“The Feast of Giving is both excited and honored to support Miami Valley Meals in sharing a common goal of providing Thanksgiving meals to those who want and need them in our community. These meals are prepared, provided and served with dignity.”

Dr. Levitt goes on to say, “Although this is not our traditional event at the Dayton Convention Center, it provides an excellent Thanksgiving meal during difficult times. We are most grateful to Miami Valley Meals and their staff for making this possible. The Feast of Giving wishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday.”

In 2020, MVM distributed 10,000 frozen Thanksgiving meals at two sites along with increased service through their regular partners. This year, the goal is to distribute 15,000 meals.

MVM meals

Distributions this year will again take place the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Trotwood-Madison High School and The University of Dayton Arena. Guests are to stay in their vehicles, follow signage for the drive-through, and meals will be placed in their vehicles. Masks are required. This is a first come, first served event.

In addition, MVM has partnered with the Dayton Young Black Professionals to add two smaller satellite locations in West Dayton at the Omega Baptist Church and the Dayton Boys & Girls Club. Distributions at these satellite locations will be from 12 p.m to 3 p.m.

Formerly working out of gracious host kitchens at House of Bread, the Life Enrichment Center and Lindy’s at Daybreak, MVM is now housed under one roof with its own kitchen. Miami Valley Meals is a partner agency of The Foodbank who will support this event with ingredient sourcing, temporary storage and trucks on the day of the event. MVM also reconnected with its former production partner, Lindy’s at Daybreak, to provide dessert for this year’s meals.

“The Turkey Takeaway event is made possible by tremendous community partnership, a supportive board and a hard-working team. We are all working towards the same goal — to provide a sense of normalcy, warmth and respite from difficult situations,” said MVM Executive Director, Amanda DeLotelle. “If you are struggling, we hope that the meal we provide makes your Thanksgiving a bit easier and brighter.”

Volunteer opportunities will be announced later this month on MVM’s website (miamivalleymeals.org) and its social media channels (@MiamiValleyMeals on Facebook and Instagram).

 

 

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 [email protected]

 

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.