Nearly 200 cars lined up in the first hour alone along Chew Street to receive a free meal May 29 at Muhlenberg College as part of Operation BBQ.

“This is just one of the many initiatives the Lehigh Valley Food Pantry Council is working on, including the continuation of summer meals for children across the Valley during COVID-19, assisting pantries to acquire PPE supplies and more volunteers, and coordinating garden donations to the pantry system,” said Susan Dalandan, event coordinator with the food pantry council.

Kamilah Aviles, a Muhlenberg College student, is participating in the Community Internship Program with the Health Bureau this summer and she created the event flyer. She also handled the volunteer coordinating and organizing.

“Fostering community is something of a lost idea to some people but it is something I am passionate about and would like to continue doing through my internship,” Aviles said.

According to Dalandan, Operation BBQ was began in Missouri in 2011 in response to a local disaster.

She said the distribution at Muhlenberg College was the fourth distribution event after an event in Easton, Bethlehem and Bangor.

“We partnered with nine agencies who picked up and delivered 1,800 meals to the elderly and the other meals were distributed at Friday’s event,” Dalandan said.

Muhlenberg College has a partnership with the Allentown Health Bureau and some of those members are part of the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council.

The groups worked together to provide the meals for those who may have been affected by the coronavirus.

“The nonprofit model uses restaurants and catering services that have had their business curtailed and provides jobs for their workers to make the meals,” said Dalandan. “The meals are fresh made, and then flash frozen for public distribution.”

According to the Muhlenberg College Director of Community Engagement, Beth Halpern, the meals included eggs, English muffins, potatoes and other breakfast items.

The meals were free and no personal information was needed to receive the meals. Everyone was asked to wear masks during the drive-through.