Miami Valley Meals recovers and transforms donated food into meals, and then distributes them through nonprofit partners that serve families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. We provide nourishing meals made with love that honor the dignity of those we serve.

1,700 MEALS SHARED AT POP UP FOOD DISTRIBUTION

On August 8, MVM hosted a collaborative pop up food distribution at Good Neighbor House which served 156 households.

We shared 1,700 summer BBQ meals with chicken, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and fiesta corn. Families went home with our frozen meals, pantry staples from Good Neighbor House, dessert from Dayton Cooks, fresh produce from Access to Excess, and pet food from SICSA.

Our meals were kindly sponsored by The Feast of Giving and made possible by many, many dedicated volunteers. The chefs went above and beyond, preparing 5,000 total meals which were shared not just at this event, but also at the Good Neighbor House pantry, and with the Fudge Foundation.

MONTHLY PROGRAM UPDATE

WHAT'S NEW

MVM is now serving TANF-eligible families through MVCDC

Did you know that 1 in 5 children in the Dayton area live with food insecurity? A new grant will help address this.

We received a grant to provide chef-prepared meals to families served under Ohio's TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) program.

This funding, received through La Soupe and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, will offset meal production costs to serve 200+ families and their children for the next year through Miami Valley Child Development Centers (MVCDC).

MVHO Streetlink Specialist Sage picks up snack packs from MVM

Have You Eaten Today? How Meals Build Trust at MVHO

MVHO's Housing First model helps get people off the streets and into permanent housing.

Sharing MVM meals is the first step in building relationships between clients and outreach workers.

Read more about our partnership in this edition of Meals on the Move on the MVM blog.

UD’s Urban Agriculture and Compost Manager Patrick LaPerle and his daughter Gabriella dropping off a delivery of fresh produce

MVM in the News: Partnership with UD Flyer Farm

Our partnership with University of Dayton’s Flyer Farm was recently highlighted in UD News!

Did you know that donations of fresh produce, eggs, and honey from their farm help fill thousands of meals each year?

If you walk in the kitchen right now, you'll likely see some vegetables getting prepped for future meals.

Partner Meeting Gathers 32 Organizations

MVM hosted our inaugural partner meeting for all meal partners in July.

50 attendees representing 32 organizations gathered to enjoy lunch together, share updates, and build fellowship.

It was powerful to see everyone in person, gather feedback, and share stories about how our meals are helping. 

Thank you to all who attended and to our volunteers Arnitra (TNT BBQ) and Tom (photography) for your help!

A visit from Ohio's NAIC Commissioners

Visitors from the State of Ohio's New African Immigrants Commission travelled to MVM to check out our latest collaborative meal with Afromeals Foundation.

Chef Gabi guided us through the preparation of a dish called poulet moambe (chicken stew) that will be shared with partners serving African families.

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

September is Hunger Action Month

Hunger Action Month is a great opportunity to raise awareness about food insecurity and spotlight hunger relief programs.

Here are some quick ways to show your support during September:

• Sign up to volunteer; a quick 2 hours is all it takes to help make a lot of meals!
• Share this newsletter with a friend who may be interested in our work.
• Host a food drive at your workplace, social club, or church.

MEAL OF THE MONTH

Turkey Taco "Bowls"

This meal is the perfect example of what happens when the community rallies to support us. It ties together ingredients from various donors into a complete, wholesome meal.

Let's take a virtual walk through the kitchen to get a feel for the chefs' process...

KITCHEN KUDOS

The MVM team would like to extend our thanks to these amazing people and companies who have recently supported our mission.

• Recent volunteer groups who have helped us in the kitchen: URS Dayton, APG Furnishings, Sinclair Sociology, Sinclair Experiential Learning, Daya, Habitat for Humanity, League of Women Voters, Dayton Children's, Kettering Health Resident Physician Dr. John Page, and AES Ohio
• Liz Valenti and her crew at Piccolo Orsetto, GWE Presents Dayton Has a Heart (in partnership with Clash Dayton and Yellow Cab Tavern), Toxic Brew Company, and Koji Burger and Chef Dane hosted benefit events to raise funds for MVM
• A group of students from the H.E.R.E. experiential learning program helped us improve our volunteer processes through the addition of new training videos and visual systems for the kitchen (special thanks to our volunteer Sid O'Brien for including MVM in her first pilot run of this program!)
• Northwestern Mutual hosted a food drive to stock our shelves in the month of July

Thank you!

Together, we continue to serve the growing number of individuals and families facing food insecurity across the Miami Valley. Please consider making a gift today to keep providing nourishing meals for our neighbors. 

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