CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Ask anyone close to her, and they will tell you that Merilene Paciulli makes some serious chicken and dumplings!
"Cooking at home, it just came kinda naturally... That's one of my favorite things to do," Paciulli says.
An exceptional home cook knows the value of a good meal, especially to those that are hungry.
"You just have empathy for them," Paciulli says. "You really do."
For more than 30 years, Paciulli coordinated delivery services for Chesapeake Meals on Wheels for her church, Great Bridge Baptist.
The community-based program is part of a nationwide nonprofit that helps meet the nutritional and social needs of seniors.
"You see some sad things, you see some challenges that people are working with, and a lot of those people don't see anybody else during the day. And it's just something I enjoy doing," Paciulli says. "And those people bless you a lot of times, the people that you deliver to."
At 85 years young, Paciulli has now handed over coordination duties of the program but that hasn't slowed her down as a volunteer with Chesapeake Meals on Wheels.
While her famous chicken and dumplings recipe may be a mystery, it's no secret why she does so much to help others.
"We're all called to do different things. And that's one of my things," Paciulli says. "It gives me joy, really."
To learn more about Chesapeake Meals on Wheels, call 757-547-8121 or visit their Facebook page.