Birmingham is the heart of a state famous for its cuisine, music, natural beauty and fiery faith in college football. You either bleed crimson or orange and blue, with no exceptions. 

Yet, its identity as a key battleground for the Civil Rights Movement continues to echo: a dark tradition of racial violence and tension the city is eager to leave buried in the past by working to shape a better, more united and compassionate future—one kind person and mighty kindness at a time.

Services organizations such as the local Meals on Wheels, a provider coordinated in partnership with the United Way of Central Alabama, know building a community is powerful, and few things heal more than food. It signals that Southern Hospitality is more than a slogan of the South; there’s a high propensity to do good—an infectious grace to pass around, like a warm bowl of shrimp and grits.

The dedication of volunteers like Sonya Mitchell represents the spirit of love, hope, faith, and care for the community—the drive to show up for someone you’ve never met, which is the foundation of Meals on Wheels. 

Her story proves that, given the chance, community members will show up for each other in ways that transform food into something more than a meal: a language of goodwill and connection.

Sonya, a graduate of Talladega College, Alabama’s oldest historically black liberal arts college, and semi-retired former college recruiter and sales professional, who is also an avid writer and photographer, was introduced to the local Meals on Wheels provider during a recruitment effort at Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. 

They needed volunteers and a way to extend their service to the community of Titusville, where Sonya was born, raised and now resides. 

“I started in Titusville because that's home for me,” Sonya remarks. “That's where I grew up. That's familiar territory. I know many of those people, and what better way to serve my community?”

As a person of deep religious faith and a proud Delta Theta Sigma sorority member, she is no stranger to community service. Her faith and sisterhood instilled in her the value of giving back; she’s carried that lesson throughout her career and life. 

But even for someone who’s made it part of their life’s purpose to help others, volunteering to support homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels felt different and more urgent. 

“The service is providing food for people,” she says. “That's the most basic need for any of us. Knowing someone there does not have a meal breaks my heart. I felt compelled, and I still feel compelled to do something.”

Volunteering also gives back to Sonya, including an unexpected friendship with 98-year-old Miss Mary, the oldest person on her current route— a relationship that almost didn’t happen. 

Sonya was initially assigned to Titusville but ran into car trouble. This setback required the local Meals on Wheels provider to reassign her route quickly. When she finally returned, the organization offered Sonya a once-a-week route through the Pratt City neighborhood, where she met Miss Mary.

She recalls that their initial encounters felt very transactional. But as they became more acquainted, goodbyes and hellos became hugs, conversations on the porch and the opening to bond over their shared love of Janet Jackson, sparked by Sonya’s prized t-shirt.

Their interaction about pop culture reminded Sonya that homebound seniors are very plugged into the world around them, even at an advanced age.

“She is so amazing,” Sonya says. “She's so sharp and in tune with life and other things. She is so vibrant and a jewel.”

Their relationship also demonstrates how regular connections with volunteers help seniors stay healthy by feeding their minds and bodies, sometimes enabling them to build new cross-generational friendships that feed their souls.

Sonya is well aware of the racial disparity between meeting service needs within the African American community and other communities. She describes it as “heartbreaking” and an “unbalanced scale” that organizations like Meals on Wheels are committed to rebalancing through reaching more African American homebound seniors with nutritious meals. 

Yet, she also knows that the ongoing healing in the Birmingham community means caring about your neighbor, regardless of their identity. 

“It doesn't and should not matter—your skin color or background,” Sonya insists. “It should not matter because people are people. These are human beings; ultimately, we're all here to serve. That's my, my purpose, your purpose. Everybody's purpose here on this earth is to serve and give back. If we're not doing that, then shame on us.”

Sonya offers her experience and perspective as a call to inspire others in her community and beyond to unite behind a common purpose: caring for our most vulnerable that often, sadly, go unnoticed.

“Whether you're young or old, black or white, rich or poor, people are people and people are hurting—whether it’s visible or not, people are hurting, and people have needs.”

Through her Meals on Wheels volunteer service, Sonya “learned to be more loving, kind and patient.” 

Meals on Wheels volunteers, like Sonya, the ones feeding others, are doing the community building, caring and being built up in return.