As we begin 2022, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continued support of Food & Friends. During these insecure and unstable months of the pandemic, you helped us endure and grow stronger. I also want to express my deep thanks for our resilient and dedicated staff and volunteers, who never hesitate to rise to challenges to meet the needs of the adults and children living with serious illnesses who we serve.
In this past year, the number of new neighbors referred to us has increased by nearly ten percent. The emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron Covid-19 variant makes it necessary for us to continue to meet increased meal production demand with fewer volunteers. Fulfilling our mission with fewer hands is possible because of the additional efforts of staff and volunteers and support of our donors who exemplify our values of community, compassion, accountability, and reliability.
Your Generosity: Building Our Capacity to Serve More Neighbors
Partnerships and collaboration are vital to our success, as we build communities together that invest in others. It is your generosity and the support of our volunteers that makes our work possible. I want to share just a few highlights that celebrate the impact and reach of your commitment this past year:
- A new collaboration with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to provide our medically tailored meals and nutrition services for neighbors living with cystic fibrosis, who have complex nutrition needs.
- A pilot and new partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to ship our freshly prepared meals to adults and children in Garrett and Allegany counties in Maryland. These counties are beyond our historical service area. These individuals, living with congestive heart failure, cancer, diabetes, and COPD live in an area with few social service resources, and where access to food can be miles away. Because of your support, we have the ability to deepen our commitment in the Washington, D.C. region while also extending support to those with serious illnesses living just outside it.
- A Care Transitions Pilot Program with the George Washington University Hospital to serve patients with heart disease as they move between health care practitioners, inpatient settings, and homes as their conditions and needs change. Our shared goals for the partnership are to enhance heart health nutrition awareness and education, improve medical outcomes with better medication adherence, and reduce re-hospitalizations at 30 days and 3 months.
- A deepened referral process with Mary’s Center to serve more Maryland clients living with diabetes and experiencing food insecurity through a grant with the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission. This expanded partnership will help us reach more adults and children in need with medically tailored meals, groceries, and professional nutrition services.
- Our registered dietitians conducted 1,598 nutrition assessments and client contacts. Ninety-four percent of clients surveyed were satisfied or very satisfied with the services they received. The Nutrition Services Team will also continue hosting virtual webinars for clients to help them improve their health, and these recordings will now be made available on-demand.
- From April 2021 to September 2022, Food & Friends is featured as a part of the marvelous Smithsonian exhibit “Food for the People” at the Anacostia Community Museum. The exhibit sheds light on the historical context of food justice organizing in the Washington D.C. region. It shows the social and cultural significance of our work. I encourage you to visit as a powerful reminder of how your impact as a supporter of Food & Friends helps those experiencing systemic barriers to nutrition and health.
Looking to the Future
In 2021, you helped us overcome every obstacle, take on new partnerships and continue positive momentum, as we home-delivered 1.24 million freshly prepared, delicious, medically tailored meals to 3,898 adults and children living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other serious and chronic illnesses.
In our next chapter, we are actively exploring the expansion of our building and services. As always, our core focus remains on living our shared values and fulfilling our mission of improving the lives and health of people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses in the Washington region.
Thank you for your dedicated support. I am excited to continue to help more than 4,000 neighbors with you in 2022 by delivering more than 1.3 million medically tailored meals. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email at cstoltzfus@foodandfriends.org.
With gratitude,
Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH
Executive Director