SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The nonprofit Meals on Wheels celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new location in Downtown Scranton this morning, which will allow more meals to be served to more people experiencing food insecurity and isolation in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Lindsey Skripka, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels NEPA, says that after years of operating at capacity in their old, aging location along Wyoming Avenue, it was time for a new beginning on Cherry Street.
“This represents a transformation of our agency from our old, aging building to a brand new, high-efficiency location where we’re able to do so much more than deliver a meal,” Skripka said.
Volunteers inside the brand-new kitchen were preparing and packaging meals to be served to even more communities in need across Northeastern PA thanks to the shiny new digs.
“We could produce and deliver 20% more meals with no extra input, so that’s how much time and cost savings we have. That means we’re able to serve more older adults and we’re able to serve more communities in need,” Skripka said.
While it may be a new building, the mission of the Meals on Wheels program remains the same to help reduce hunger and isolation across six Northeastern Pennsylvania counties with the volunteers and Meals on Wheels leaders like Kirsten Smith who help make it all possible.
“You walk in, you can smell the food, you can see everybody working. Everybody is dedicated to serving those in need and it’s an overwhelming experience to see it every day,” Kirsten Smith, Building Committee Chair for the Meals on Wheels NEPA Board of Directors, said.
Meals on Wheels NEPA is now at 305 Cherry Street in Scranton. If you are interested in volunteering, you can visit the Meals on Wheels NEPA website to get involved.