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:
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.
