When Dr. Richard Katz first heard about Food & Friends more than two decades ago, it wasn’t through a professional connection, but from a neighbor. Steve Handelsman, an NBC reporter and biking buddy of Dr. Katz, invited him to see the organization where his daughters volunteered. What began as a simple introduction would grow into a lifelong relationship, one that has touched hundreds of patients, students, and community members along the way.
As the longtime Chief of Cardiology at George Washington University, Dr. Katz devoted his career to advancing heart health. Yet he always believed that medicine alone wasn’t enough. “I wanted young doctors and trainees to see that community service is part of being a physician,” he recalls. For years, Dr. Katz brought cardiology fellows, faculty, and nurses to Food & Friends on Saturday mornings to pack meals. These experiences not only supported Food & Friends’ mission but also instilled in future doctors the importance of serving people beyond the walls of the hospital.
Over the year, Dr. Katz’s connection to Food & Friends deepened through collaboration. Alongside his colleague, Dr. Gurusher Panjrath, he helped launch a project focused on patients living with diabetes. Together with Food & Friends’ dietitians and chefs, they explored how medically tailored meals could help people manage their condition. The success of that project played a role in Food & Friends’ decision to expand services to include clients living with diabetes—a milestone that has since improved countless lives.
Another initiative brought the partnership inside the hospital. Working with GW’s heart service team, Dr. Katz helped connect patients being discharged with heart failure and other chronic illnesses to Food & Friends meals. For patients facing the dual challenges of recovery and food insecurity, this support provided more than nourishment, it offered hope and stability at a vulnerable moment.
Even in retirement, Dr. Katz continues to champion the “food is medicine” movement. He now devotes much of his time to GW’s Culinary Medicine program, led by Dr. Tim Harlan, which teaches medical students, undergraduates, and community members about healthy cooking and nutrition. As part of the program, students visit Food & Friends to better understand how access to nutritious meals can transform lives. “It’s about teaching the next generation of doctors that food and health are inseparable,” he says.
For Dr. Katz, the philosophy behind Food & Friends is simple yet profound: meals must be healthy, accessible, and flavorful. He believes Food & Friends excels at meeting all three. “The meals aren’t just medically tailored, they’re delicious and culturally relevant,” he explains. “That’s what keeps people engaged and helps them carry healthy habits into the future.”
Dr. Katz and his wife have supported Food & Friends philanthropically as well, attending the annual Chef’s Best Dinner and Auction and contributing to its mission. He sees his involvement not only as a personal passion but also as a responsibility. “It’s about community,” he says. “Food & Friends gives people the nourishment they need to heal, but also the dignity of knowing someone cares.”
Dr. Katz’s story is a reminder of the ripple effect one person can have. Through his leadership, students have embraced service, patients have gained access to life-changing meals, and Food & Friends has expanded its reach throughout the region. His journey shows that when medicine and community come together, the results are extraordinary.
And it all began with a simple invitation to get involved.