Who
We are
The only community-based organization in the DC region providing home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition therapy to our neighbors living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses.
What
We Do
With the help of volunteers, Food & Friends prepares and delivers nutritionally tailored, delicious meals directly to our neighbors' homes. Our community dietitians and professional chefs work closely to provide individualized services to our clients.
Who
We Serve
Food & Friends provides meals, groceries, and nutrition counseling to people living with life-challenging illnesses. All meals and services are free-of-charge to the client, their dependents, and caregivers.
latest news from
food & friends
Media Recap: Thanksgiving at Food & Friends 2024
Food & Friends Mobilizes 320+ Volunteers to Deliver Thanksgiving Dinners to 4,500 Neighbors with Serious Illnesses
Food & Friends Expands Coverage to Neighbors Living with Sickle Cell Disease
Our History
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
1988
Reverend Carla Gorrell meets with leaders of Westminster Presbyterian Church to discuss their vision for a home-delivered meal service for people with AIDS. A few contributors provide start-up funds and 21 area restaurants donate meals to be delivered â one meal a day, five days a week. The Westminster Presbyterian Church donates kitchen and office space to launch the project. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares December 1st to be the first World AIDS Day.
1989
1990
With six staff members and the addition of neighborhood drop-off sites, service is extended to Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland. A computer system is added to help manage client records and delivery schedules. A dedicated group of 200 volunteers now deliver about 65 meals a day to 210 clients.
1991
The staff continues to increase and the kitchen becomes busier, increasing the âevening prepâ session from three to five nights a week. To support this growth, Chef David Hagedorn creates the first Chefâs Best Dinner & Auction. Held at the West End CafĂ©, 12 chefs helped to raise $45,000. 350 volunteers deliver to 14 routes.
1992
Food & Friends expands services again, adding Saturday deliveries. Deliveries now include HIV+ residents at two homeless shelters. The volunteer base increases to 475 volunteers delivering to 25 routes. AIDS becomes the number one cause of death for U.S. men ages 25-44.
1993
A registered dietitian is hired to provide nutrition counseling to clients. Also, recognizing the grim reality that clients with children are passing the food delivered on to their kids, Food & Friends begins providing services to all dependents in the household.
1994
Food & Friends begins to outgrow the space in Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the Board adopts a strategic plan to move to a larger facility. A warehouse is located a few blocks from the church and renovation begins. Food & Friends also grows geographically, extending service to Prince William County.
1995
Carla Gorrell leaves Food & Friends and Craig Shniderman is hired as Executive Director. The new facility renovation is completed in July, and the staff moves to 58 L Street, SE. Seeking to provide services to an ever-widening geographic area, Groceries-to-Go â a weekly delivery of shelf-stable items â is created for clients who cannot be reached on a daily basis. By the end of the year, 500,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in the U.S.
1996
On March 29th, Food & Friends delivers its 1,000,000th meal. With the quick growth of Groceries-to-Go, the delivery area expands to more than 5,000 square miles. More than 1,900 people ride their bikes from Philadelphia to Washington, DC in the first AIDSRide, raising net funds of $793,000. 700 volunteers deliver to 75 clients every day.
1997
Nutrition education and counseling is expanded with the addition of a second full-time dietitian. The staff now totals 42, complemented by a volunteer base of 750. The year ends on a high note when Vice President and Mrs. Gore visit Food & Friends on World AIDS Day.
1998
Food & Friends celebrates ten years of service to the community and, once again, expands its services. A collaboration with Pediatric AIDS Care was launched to provide an after-school food program for children with HIV/AIDS or who have siblings with HIV/AIDS.
1999
Using new technology and kitchen equipment, Food & Friends switches from hot meal deliveries to chilled meal deliveries that could be reheated. This keeps the food safer and more appetizing for clients. Large walk-in refrigerators and insulated delivery bags become familiar items at Food & Friends. Food & Friends continues to increase clients outside of DC.
2000
On Valentineâs Day, a pilot project called âSpecial Deliveryâ is launched to provide meal delivery services to people with breast cancer. The immediate success of the project leads the Board of Directors to officially expand the mission to include cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. The Board also approves the initiation of a Capital Campaign to raise the funds needed to construct a larger and permanent facility.
2001
Food & Friends expands geographically again, adding the city of Hagerstown in Washington County, Maryland for grocery deliveries. A 2.5-acre piece of land in northeast Washington, DC is located as a potential site for the new facility. For the first time in Food & Friendsâ history, more than 1 million meals are delivered in a single year. The Pink Ribbon Delivery Program was created, thanks to the Avon Foundation for Women, to improve the care of women and men living with cancer and their families.
2002
Land at 219 Riggs Road, NE is purchased. Gensler, the worldâs largest commercial architectural firm, develops building designs and a groundbreaking ceremony is held. The Avon Foundation announces a $750,000 gift to the Capital Campaign, the largest private gift made to date.
2003
The year of the battle against Mother Nature begins with a blizzard that dumps 18 inches of snow on the Washington, DC area. During the storm, Food & Friends perseveres and delivers meals to every client. In September, as Hurricane Isabel approaches, Food & Friends again makes sure every client is well-cared for and has the food he or she needs.
2004
With challenge grants from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, Food & Friends completes the Capital Campaign, raising nearly $8.9 million for the new facility. Operations officially begin from the new building in October.
2005
Food & Friends takes on a leadership role in a lobbying effort to include ânutrition servicesâ language in Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization. The effort leads to the listing of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) as a core service in the Act and that HIV/AIDS Education Centers include nutrition faculty and dietetics professionals among those eligible for training. The volunteer base grows to 3,500 people.
2006
Food & Friends conducts an impact study regarding the benefits of specialized nutrition, working with two Emerson Hunger Fellows. The results of the study demonstrate that comprehensive nutrition support is an effective and necessary supplement to medical treatment. It is found that Food & Friendsâ nutrition services help patients manage disease and achieve improved health outcomes.
2007
DC Mayor Adrian Fenty delivers the 10,000,000th meal to a client during a special ceremony at Food & Friends. The Home-Delivered Meals program is expanded to remote residents beyond the Beltway in Montgomery and Prince Georgeâs Counties, Maryland, completing the first year of the Maryland Expansion Project by serving a total of 117,196 meals to 282 persons in this geographic area.
2008
A formal Service Learning Program is created thanks to a $1 million multi-year gift from The Charlotteâs Web Foundation. This gift remains the largest private contribution received by Food & Friends. AT&T donates a $295,000 multi-year grant to the Service Learning Program which expanded programming to DC public schools.
2009
Food & Friends launches Capacity2, a new delivery schedule for clients participating in the Home-Delivered Meals program. Clients now receive double portions three days per week instead of six daily deliveries, creating flexibility for clients and improving efficiency.
2010
On Christmas Day, Food & Friends is featured on CNN as part of the "Giving in Focus" hour-long special. The Food & Friends segment is played several times, including on CNN's American Morning and CNN Newsroom on December 30th.
2011
Food & Friends receives a $450,000, three year grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, which provides clients in the Groceries-to-Go program with fresh produce. The grant makes it possible to deliver more than 40,000 bags of fruits and vegetables.
2012
In recognition of the rapidly growing population in Montgomery County, an expanded referral partnership is developed with Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. This partnership will add an additional 50,000 meals in 2013. And, to more effectively serve those with HIV/AIDS, eligibility requirements are broadened to account for secondary illnesses worsened by a clientâs status.
2013
President Obama volunteers at Food & Friends as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. The president packed meals for Food & Friends clients alongside dozens of volunteers, saying, "I want to make sure we encourage everyone out there to volunteer in their own communities."
2014
Food & Friends launches a diabetes pilot study in partnership with The George Washington University Hospital. The pilot provides specialized meal delivery, nutrition education and health assessments for individuals in the Washington, DC region with poorly-managed type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.
2015
The 25th Anniversary Chef's Best Dinner & Auction raises a record-breaking $1.1 million dollars for Food & Friends' services. The event featured more than 50 chefs, with over 1,400 guests in attendance. Since it's inception in 1991, Chef's Best has raised over $15 million in critical funds, thanks to the incredible support of individual and corporate sponsors, and the restaurant community.
2016
Food & Friends serves it 20 millionth meal. The meals now provided to clients not only with essential nourishment, but are carefully developed to improve health outcomes and overall well being. Food & Friends dietitians and chefs work together to shift meal plans toward the Mediterranean Diet, focusing on fresh vegetables, whole grains and healthy oils and fats, and lean meats and seafood.
2017
Food & Friends receives a $2 million gift commitment for Fleur, Sidney and Phyllis Bresler, and the Bresler Foundation, Inc., the largest multi-year gift in the organization's history. In recognition of this transformational gift, Food & Friends' beloved building is named the "William P. Bresler Building" in honor of Fleur's late son Bill, a former volunteer and client.
2018
In an effort to reach new populations in need, Food & Friends partners with AmeriHealth Caritas DC to provide nutritionally tailored meals to expectant moms with high-risk pregnancies. This comes on the heels of an expansion to serve adults and children with poorly-controlled diabetes. Long-time Executive Director Craig Shniderman retires after more than 23 years.
2019
In March of 2019, Food & Friends extends its eligibility requirements to include six additional illnesses - congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, Parkinson's, cardiopulmonary obstructive disorder (COPD), multiple sclerosis, and ALS. Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH, takes over as Executive Director following 15 years of service at Food & Friends.
2020
COVID-19 presents an enormous challenge for Food & Friends. Its clients are some of the most at-risk individuals for the virus and demand for home-delivered meals spikes. Volunteer numbers must be cut in half for physical distancing. Tremendous community support makes the year a success; Food & Friends is able to meet demand and stay open throughout the pandemic.
2021
Amid a global health pandemic, philanthropist Brad Clark donated $5 million to Food & Friends. Brad Clarkâs investment was the largest gift in Food & Friendsâ 33-year history and will impact tens of thousands of people in the coming years. We believe in a community where everyone who is seriously ill has the nourishment they need to manage their illness. Bradâs investment will ensure our operations continue reaching the most vulnerable in our community and have set the stage for significant program growth and expansion.
2022
Food & Friends reached a new plateau, preparing and home-delivering 1.65 million medically tailored meals, stretching the capacities of the building facilities. By leveraging technology, and a newly launched flagship website, our nutrition education achieved outstanding growth. In 2022, 300% more neighbors with serious illnesses participated in the virtual programming offered by our team of registered dietitians. Even while responding to surging demand amid supply chain challenges, and high food costs, the positive outcomes for those we served were exceptional: 84% of clients reported improved health.