Over 320 volunteers and staff will come together to prepare and deliver fresh Thanksgiving dinners to neighbors with life-challenging illnesses and their families.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 12, 2024) – This Thanksgiving, Food & Friends will carry on its long-standing Thanksgiving tradition of preparing and delivering 4,500 complete holiday feasts to neighbors across the region living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other serious illnesses.
Early on Thanksgiving morning, volunteers and staff will gather before sunrise to prepare holiday meal bags for 900 families facing serious illness and food insecurity. Beginning at 8 a.m., volunteer drivers will pick up meals from the Fort Totten metro and deliver them to adults and children in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
“We are so grateful to continue this vital holiday tradition, working with our volunteers to provide a special holiday experience to families who might not otherwise be able to celebrate,” said Executive Director Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH. “As the region’s leading provider of ‘food is medicine’ nutrition services, we see first-hand the challenges our community faces year-round. Thanksgiving at Food & Friends is a special opportunity for the community to deliver dignity and joy to those who need our support the most this time of year.”
Each Thanksgiving meal bag delivered by Food & Friends feeds five people and contains a full roasted turkey, a full array of traditional sides, and an apple and pumpkin pie from D.C.-based Whisked by Jenna.
Food & Friends’ annual Thanksgiving event has a profound impact on both those delivering and receiving meals. David, a Food & Friends volunteer who was diagnosed with a serious illness, shared, “In past years, I have volunteered to deliver meals on Thanksgiving, but this year, my family received a delivery instead. No one plans to need your services. But I developed cancer and had to stop being a volunteer and became a client. I am astounded by the kindness, dignity, and generosity of your staff and volunteers. You were there for me when I needed you. Thank you for a lovely holiday meal and for all your hard work.”
For the fourth year, Food & Friends is proud to have Wegmans Food Markets as the premiere sponsor of their holiday program. Chris Holland, Community Engagement & Communications Manager for Wegmans shared this message, “Our continued partnership with Food & Friends supports our commitment to improving the physical, emotional, and mental health of our communities by increasing access to wholesome food and resources for living a healthier, better life. Our employees enjoy volunteering at Food & Friends throughout the year, but we especially look forward to working alongside other community members on Thanksgiving morning to help prepare meals for their clients, caregivers, and family. By working together with organizations like Food & Friends, we can make our neighborhoods stronger.”
In addition to this special holiday event, Food & Friends provides life-changing nutrition services to seriously ill adults and children year-round, including home-delivered, medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and personalized nutrition counseling. In 2025, Food & Friends will deliver more than 1.75 million meals to over 5,000 neighbors throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
To get involved this Thanksgiving, visit https://foodandfriends.org/engage/Thanksgiving
WHEN:
November 25 – 27, and Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, 5 a.m. – 12 p.m.
WHO:
Hundreds of volunteers will join the Food & Friends staff to prepare, pack and deliver Thanksgiving meals to the homes of individuals living with a life-challenging illness.
WHERE:
Activities will take place in two locations:
Food packing: Beginning 6 a.m. at Food & Friends’ facility, 219 Riggs Road NE, Washington, DC, 20011
Delivery pickups (11/24 only): Beginning 7:30 a.m. at Fort Totten Metro Station Parking Lot
VISUALS / INTERVIEWS:
Reporters and cameras are invited into the Food & Friends kitchen on Nov. 25-27 as chefs and volunteers prepare Thanksgiving meals. On Thanksgiving Day, the media are invited to cover both the indoor packing operation and outdoor delivery pickup operation. Opportunities to accompany a delivery and interview a meal recipient are available upon request. Interview opportunities include the Food & Friends’ Executive Director, chefs, registered dietitians, clients, and volunteers. Live shot opportunities are available and encouraged.
For media inquiries, please contact Mike Schafer at (202) 269-6841 or mschafer@foodandfriends.org to coordinate coverage. Broadcast quality b-roll is available upon request.
About Food & Friends
Food & Friends is the Washington region’s leading authority on “Food is Medicine” and the only community-based organization delivering home-delivered, medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy to neighbors living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses. Food & Friends’ services are free of charge to recipients who qualify solely based on their health status and nutritional needs, including for their dependents and caregivers. Monday-Saturday, including holidays, staff and volunteers deliver to 6,172 square miles including the District of Columbia, nine counties in Maryland, and seven counties and six independent cities in Virginia. Since 1988, Food & Friends has delivered more than 30 million meals to 47,000 individuals. The organization is accredited by the national Food is Medicine Coalition.
For more information, visit FoodAndFriends.org or Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
About Wegmans Food Markets
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 111 stores located along the east coast. The family company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 27 consecutive years, ranking #6 in 2024.
Media Contact
Mike Schafer
Communications Manager
Email: mschafer@foodandfriends.org
Phone: (202) 269-6841
