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Meals on Wheels Atlanta working to meet growing need of area's hungry seniors

By
Jamal Goss
Jamal Goss
Multi-Skilled Reporter, CBS News Atlanta
Jamal Goss is a reporter at CBS News Atlanta, bringing powerful stories to life weekday mornings at 6 a.m.
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Jamal Goss

/ CBS Atlanta

As organizations across the country mark March for Meals Week, the people at Meals on Wheels Atlanta are working to meet a growing need among seniors across the metro area.

Inside the nonprofit's kitchen, Chef Christopher Kelly and his team prepare hundreds of meals each day for older adults who rely on the service for daily nourishment.

"We feed Atlanta. We feed the senior citizens of Atlanta," Kelly said. "The people who need some assistance."

Kelly, one of the lead chefs at Meals on Wheels Atlanta, said the organization is currently serving more than 540 seniors, providing each of them with two meals a day, but the need stretches far beyond that.

"We have our 800 seniors on our wait list, and that list continues to grow larger," Kelly said.

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Inside the Meals on Wheels Atlanta's kitchen, Chef Christopher Kelly and his team prepare hundreds of meals each day for older adults who rely on the service for daily nourishment. CBS News Atlanta

Meals on Wheels Atlanta said it has the kitchen capacity to serve even more people, but funding remains one of its biggest challenges.

"We have the capacity to serve three times to four times even more people," Kelly said. "Capital isn't always there. People don't always think of our seniors."

Kelly has been with Meals on Wheels Atlanta for six years. Before that, he spent more than a decade in fine dining, including time at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. He said he eventually wanted to use his talent in a way that had a more direct impact.

"I wanted to have my voice mean a little bit something to those who really needed it," he said.

For Kelly, the work goes beyond preparing food. He said the meals also provide a connection for seniors who may be isolated.

"This is some of the only time that our seniors actually have human interaction," Kelly said. "And they get the chance to sit down and have a cup of coffee, have a cup of tea, and they sit down and talk about life."

Meals on Wheels Atlanta says volunteers play a major role in that effort, helping pack and deliver meals directly to seniors throughout the city.

Kelly said the mission is simple: make sure seniors are cared for.

"When it's all said and done, you're feeding, you're nurturing someone else," he said.

Meals on Wheels Atlanta says it is always looking for volunteers and donations as it works to reach even more seniors in need. To get involved, . 

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