ATLANTA -

Audi Atlanta, Audi Marietta and Volvo Cars of Marietta — working with local food service companies — have launched a community meal drive with a goal to help eradicate hunger for senior citizens and keep them safe from the novel Coronavirus.

The food relief efforts will also help feed frontline workers at several local hospitals and at Atlanta-area police and fire departments.

The three dealerships, part of the Jim Ellis family of dealerships, have launched the drive “to continue to do our part and serve our community, even in these difficult times,” said Tracie Maloney, vice president of Audi Atlanta, Audi Marietta and Volvo Cars of Marietta, in a news release.

The dealerships are working with local food service partners to provide prepared meals to first responders, medical workers and homebound seniors.

The food service partners are Bold Catering & Design, Old Vinings Inn, and Lovies BBQ, and the dealerships have pledged to match a meal for every meal purchased from the public.

Currently underway, the campaign will run until reaching the matching goal.

"We are working with a few of our very longtime, valuable clients and Meals on Wheels,” Maloney said.

Maloney continued, “The owners of Fifth Group Restaurants, Bold Catering and Design, Lovies BBQ and Old Vinings Inn have partnered with us to get meals to our local homebound seniors as well as frontline healthcare workers and first responders. We are proud to be able to help them keep their businesses going and serve a dire need in our community at the same time."

Bold Catering & Design is currently preparing meals for Meals on Wheels Atlanta, which is fighting senior hunger and supporting the vulnerable senior neighbors during the crisis.

The dealerships are inviting the public to make a $10 contribution, which can provide two meals to local homebound seniors. Audi Atlanta, Audi Marietta, or Volvo Cars of Marietta will match those donations for the first 2,000 meals.

Audi Marietta and Volvo Cars of Marietta have also partnered with Old Vinings Inn, which is preparing and delivering a three-course meal to frontline healthcare workers at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital.

The dealerships will match $15 donations for the first 240 meals.

To show their appreciation to first responders and healthcare workers, Lovies BBQ is currently cooking for them, and Audi Atlanta will match $10 donations from the public for the first 200 meals. Lovies BBQ will deliver 50 to 100 meals at a time to Piedmont, Emory, Northside, Atlanta Medical Center and the VA Hospitals.

The dealerships note that senior citizens, who are high-risk for contracting the virus, can also face challenges in accessing their meals. Recognizing that healthcare workers and first responders are sacrificing their safety and health to serve the frontline during the crisis, the dealerships are inviting the public to help seniors and frontline workers by visiting http://www.jimellis.com/meals.