Food & Friends is proud to be part of a beautiful new exhibit at the Capital Jewish Museum, LGBTJews in The Federal City. This landmark display weaves together LGBTQ+, Jewish, and D.C. history, and it shines a special light on Food & Friends’ beginnings, when we first opened our doors to serve neighbors living (and dying) with HIV/AIDS.
This summer, our staff enjoyed a private tour with curator Jonathan Edelman. Walking through the exhibit, we were reminded by just how deeply our stories are connected. We paused at a striking poster created by graphic designer and longtime volunteer Dan Kaufman, who has even stepped in as Food & Friends’ baker from time to time. Nearby, a map of Navy Yard, once home to some of D.C.’s most vibrant nightlife, marked the cross streets where Food & Friends once lived. Familiar faces and names filled the walls, including that of Chris Wolf, a former and longtime board member and past board president, who is now president of the Capital Jewish Museum.
Our founding in 1988 stands proudly on the exhibit’s timeline of historic milestones, alongside the creation of our longtime partner, Whitman-Walker Clinic, in 1973.
To celebrate the exhibit’s opening, the Museum hosted a special panel where we shared more about our work and history. Guests joined us in making birthday bags for client birthday cakes, a Food & Friends tradition that spreads a little extra joy to our clients on their special day. And in a full-circle moment, Museum staff recently visited us to lend a hand, helping pack medically tailored groceries for our clients.
We are deeply grateful for this recognition and for the opportunity to honor the history that binds us. Together, we continue building a community rooted in care, compassion, and connection.