This Christmas, hundreds of Baltimore locals living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses will receive nutritious, home-delivered meals thanks to a few helping hands.
Moveable Feast, an East Baltimore-based organization, has been delivering food and groceries to a network of homebound men, women and children throughout the Maryland area since 1989.
About 2,000 meals are delivered every day to a client list that stretches across 14 of Maryland’s 24 counties, from Baltimore City to the Eastern Shore. Daily meal shipments are provided to those who have trouble accessing or preparing their own food, and deliveries on Christmas Day are no exception.
According to Mary K. DiUbaldo, Director of Development at Moveable Feast, more than 400 people will receive a holiday meal delivery on Christmas, a feat that wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteers.
“On Christmas Day, we have well over 100 volunteers who give of their time to deliver meals because at Moveable Feast we deliver 365 days a year,” Diabaldo said. "Without groups that come in, and regular volunteers, we could not do what we do every single day--not just at Christmas time."
Megan Richardson and Wendy LaGrant answered the volunteer call six years ago, and have mobilized their network to lend a hand for the holidays every year since.
The co-owners of the Richardson-LaGrant real estate firm organize an annual day of service where friends and clients head to the kitchen to help with regular meal preparation. Each year, volunteers gather at the Moveable Feast headquarters on N. Milton Avenue to package deliveries and wrap donated toys for the children of meal recipients. The group’s volunteer day also gives kids a chance to contribute, decorating holiday cards and notes to spread a little cheer to Moveable Feast’s community of families with children.
“Our client appreciation volunteer day is one of our favorite events that we do during the year,” Richardson said. “It's just a day for us to give back.”
"And wear silly hats,” LaGrant said.
