Many seniors in the Chattanooga area are faced with the uncertainty of where they will get their next meal. The Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga is addressing this problem affecting the senior population with the Senior Hunger Project 2023.
Serving 450 seniors, the Senior Hunger Project delivers two meals weekly to each home; a precooked, high-quality, reheatable meal featuring a meat, two vegetables and a bread for ten weeks. The first deliveries began January 11.
Thanks to generous support from FABRIC, a local initiative formed to address Chattanooga’s food insecurity issues, KIC is able to utilize their culinary entrepreneurs to prepare meals each week at its shared commercial grade kitchen at 5704 Marlin Road. In addition to FABRIC, Gordon Food Services and food services provider Waypoint are partnering with the KIC for the resources needed to serve 450 seniors twice a week. Plus, federal funding through EFSP provided a generous contribution for this program.
“This is a win-win for everyone,” said Mark Holland, Kitchen Incubator Director. “We have a great culinary team at the Kitchen Incubator preparing these meals and will be doing so for the next ten weeks. We’re helping to feed 450 seniors who need the assistance in the Glenwood Ave. area, Boynton Terrace, Mary Walker Towers as well as clients of Widow’s Harvest and the Piney Woods Veterans.”
Thelma Holloway, a recipient of the meals said, “the meals are very tasty and have been a blessing for my daughter and myself! Keep doing great things in the community!”
By the time this ten week program is complete, nearly 10,000 meals will be served to Chattanooga seniors.
“I love doing senior meals,” said the owner of Wings Top Tots, and Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga cohort, Mahogany Hudgins. “Not only does it allow us to give back to the community but it also allows us to supplement our income doing these slow times!”
“We’re so grateful for FABRIC and our other partners that have helped make this amazing initiative happen”, said Hal Bowling, Executive Director of LAUNCH. “There is power in partnerships and the Senior Hunger Project proves it. We can accomplish so much together for our community!”
LAUNCH Chattanooga is a local nonprofit organization that strives to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in our community. LAUNCH began in 2011 and owns and operates the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga. The organization has helped start nearly 500 businesses, most of which are owned by women and people of color.