Atlanta music artist Janelle Monae has teamed up with the Isaiah Project and others to deliver meals to those stranded by the COVID-19 crisis.
Families must register ahead of time at Wondalunchonus. Since the coronavirus threatens the safety of the volunteers and the safety of the recipients, no one will be allowed to receive a meal without registering first.
On Sunday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. volunteers will hand out up to 4,500 box lunches outside The Gathering Spot, in a former rail yard between Georgia Tech and Centennial Olympic Park.
“My roots are in Atlanta,” said Monae Friday, in a phone call from Los Angeles where she also has a home. “I started my music career there, I filmed movies there, so it feels great to be able to take care of people that take care of us.”
The meals will be prepared by Gate Gourmet, an airline catering company with 43,000 employees worldwide.
On the Wondalunch menu: ham and cheese and turkey and cheese sandwiches, fruit platters and protein packs.
Kelli Andrews, operations manager for Wondaland, Monae’s production company, said the meals will be in sealed bags.
Multiple meals will be loaded into boxes, and those boxes will be placed in the trunks of the cars lined up at the locale, after the families show proof of registration on their cellphones.
There will also be a separate line for walk-up registrants.
“A family of three will probably get [up to] 10 lunches,” said Andrews. About 500 people had registered for the meals as of Friday afternoon.
This is the first such event that Wondaland has been part of, but they plan to stage more, Andrews said.
The event is also sponsored by The Gathering Spot, Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens and radio station Hot 107.9.
Monae will not be on hand for the event she said. “I’m stuck in L.A.,” she said. “My hope is to get there as soon as we can start flying, as soon as it’s safe.”
The Gathering Spot is located at 384 Northyards Blvd NW.