Truckload of donations from 7 Circle of Kindness food drive dropped-off at Miami Valley Meals

DAYTON — Sending out a big Thank You to the Miami Valley community for showing up for the 7 Circle of Kindness Food Drive benefiting Miami Valley Meals.

The food drive was held on Saturday and then a truckload of food donations was dropped off Monday morning at Miami Valley Meals in Dayton.

All of the food donations were unloaded from the truck and taken into the basement of Miami Valley Meals by volunteers, where it will be stored until the chefs turn it into a home-cooked frozen meal.

Amanda DeLotelle is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Miami Valley Meals. She said, “You never know if your neighbor is struggling. There are many folks in the community that are hungry and might have food insecurity issues.”

It is part of how Miami Valley Meals became a much-needed in organization in the first place.

“In March of 2020, myself and some former colleagues, Chef Matt DeAnglo, reached out and we were furloughed from our hospitality and culinary jobs, DeLotelle said, DeAngelo told DeLotelle that “maybe there’s a way that we can support the community,”

They now give out free meals to several local nonprofit organizations. WHIO-TV’s General Manager, Darren Moore, feels strongly about continuing to hold our 7 Circle of Kindness events.

“We’re here to support the community. That’s our mission. And we want to make sure that we’re keeping people informed, but also keeping people informed of the needs here and there,” Moore said. “The support we get from Morris Home allows us to go out and do these events on an annual basis and it’s been wonderful,”

With Morris Home and Ashley being a family-owned business, this community is like their family.

Chad Henninger with Morris Home said, “They come into the stores. They support us. So, we turn around and we help support the communities and give what they need.”

It’s to make sure people in the community have the tools they need to survive.

“We are thankful to the 7 Circle of Kindness and the community for the support. All the folks who came out to see us and who came to support as well. Thank you so much. We’re putting this love right back into the community,” DeLotelle said.

This year, Miami Valley Meals is asking the community to help stock their shelves with any kind of pasta. The organization will especially appreciate large-size packages since they cook food in bulk.

Other Items and Supplies:

Parchment paper (rolls or pop-up sheets)
Food-safe nitrile gloves (medium, large, or extra-large)
Plain black or dark-colored aprons
4 or 8-cup measuring cups with handles

Miami Valley Meals’ Amazon wish list can be found HERE. To make a monetary gift, please visit: https://miamivalleymeals.org/donate

If you are willing to donate a service, the organization would love to get help with smaller building maintenance projects. You can learn more about Miami Valley Meals, its current needs, and ways to get involved HERE.

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