Your Client Services Team
Last month, we said so long to Mira Kauffman-Rosengarten, our well-loved Intake Coordinator who is heading back to school to study social work. Since joining Food & Friends in 2022, Mira has welcomed our new clients by delivering their first meal and grocery drop-offs, connecting them with external resources, and bringing a friendly face and positive energy. Over the past three years, Mira has also held the roles of Recertification Coordinator and Intake Coordinator. We’ll miss her kindness, commitment to our clients, and the uplifting energy she brought to our team.
We’re excited to announce that Sophie Bennett will be taking on a new role as Intake Coordinator. Sophie joined our team in the Fall of 2023. During her time at Food & Friends, she has served in multiple roles, including assisting new clients as Client Services Advocate. Most recently, she held the position of Recertification Coordinator. Sophie and our team look forward to her continuing her work in her new position, bringing new clients into the Food & Friends community.
Additionally, we’re proud to share that Hayley Murguia has begun her new role as Recertification Coordinator. Hayley started in the Spring of 2023, assisting with Food & Friends’ fundraising efforts as part of the development team. She joined the Client Services Team last year, transitioning into the role of Client Services Advocate. We’re happy to announce that she will continue as part of our team, assisting our clients through the process of renewing their medically tailored meal and grocery delivery services.
Finally, Kiara Isaias-Day will be continuing her role as Client Services Advocate in the Fall. The most recent addition to the Client Services Department, Kiara joined us as an Avodah Service Corps last Summer. Over the past year, Kiara has become an integral part of our team, especially in her work with our Spanish-speaking clients. We’re very excited to have Kiara continue to be a member of our team going forward!
Please join us in congratulating Sophie, Hayley, and Kiara on their new roles — and in wishing Mira all the best in her next chapter!
“I have loved getting to know some of you better as we worked on recertification! I am looking forward to starting new clients in my position as Intake Coordinator! While I am likely going to interact with many of you less frequently now that Hayley is handling recertification, I am still excited to continue to work with you all and am here if you need anything.” – Sophie
“It has been such a joy and privilege getting to be part of clients’ first deliveries and orienting them to Food & Friends. I am excited to transition to this new role and to work with clients at a different phase on service with us as we navigate the recertification process together. Looking forward to maintaining more regular contact with our clients and getting to serve them in this capacity!” – Hayley
“While I will miss making the first day deliveries for our partnership clients, I am excited to get to know more of our client population as I move into the Client Services Advocate Role. I am thankful that my role will allow me to continue getting to know and chat with all clients at Food & Friends.”
Client Social Hour
Last month, our Client Services team hosted our third Client Social Hour of the year. Seven clients joined together on a Zoom call to chat and strengthen social connections with fellow clients.
This month’s theme was meteor showers! Clients learned key facts about meteor showers, the active showers happening in July and August, and chatted about their favorite constellations, memorable astronomical events, and space books and movies. One lucky client won our trivia challenge and took home the raffle prize!
These online social hours are a great way to get more involved with our community, so look out for our future events—we’d love to see you there!
Spanish Focus Group
In July, the Client Services and Nutrition Services teams hosted our first nutrition focus group in Spanish, welcoming eight Spanish-speaking clients to share their feedback and insight.
Focus groups have been a wonderful way for clients to share what they enjoy about the food we send and where they wish to see changes. However, we haven’t had as many opportunities to get feedback from our Spanish-speaking clients as these sessions have traditionally been held in English. This Spanish focus group is the latest part of our efforts to make our services more inclusive and accessible to all members of our community.
Client Survey
This year’s annual client survey has officially come to a close. Food & Friends sends this survey each year with the aim of evaluating client satisfaction, client-reported health outcomes, connection with food resources, nutrition counseling, and reasons why clients would choose to end their delivery and nutrition services.
The survey is one of the ways that we work to ensure that we meet the needs of our clients as best as possible. Your input is incredibly valuable and will help shape the work that we do as we plan for the year ahead. A huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s survey!
Client Advisory Board
In addition to our annual survey, we’re excited to offer more opportunities for clients to provide feedback on our services. With the upcoming launch of our new Client Advisory Board, participating clients can provide key insights that will help us improve our services. The aim of this group is to provide an ongoing platform for clients to share their unique perspectives and participate in the decision-making processes that go into our programs to ensure that we meet the needs of the communities we are dedicated to serving. Interested clients should contact Absa Fall, Client Relations Coordinator, at afall@foodandfriends.org.
Client Facebook Group
Join our Client Facebook Group today to see important delivery schedule updates, information about upcoming events and resources, menu changes, and more. The group is your space to connect with our Client Services Team, Nutrition Team, and fellow clients.
To join, follow the link HERE, or scan the QR code below:
Nutrition Services
What’s up with canned food?
Many of our clients have asked about replacing the canned food items for fresh or frozen foods in our Medically Tailored Grocery Program. We hope to be able to send more fresh and/or frozen items in the future. However, we cannot make that change right now.
We do believe in the health benefits of the canned food we send!
- We buy low sodium canned food.
- Canned food is picked and canned at its peak, so the nutritious benefits are not lost.
- Canned food lasts a long time (years!)
While we buy our food and send it out to you within days, you can keep those canned goods for a long time, according to the Food Safety & Inspection Service of the USDA.
| FOOD |
STORAGE ON SHELF |
STORAGE AFTER OPENING |
|
Low-acid canned goods. Examples: canned meat and poultry, stews, soups (except tomato), spaghetti (noodle and pasta) products, potatoes, corn, carrots, spinach, beans, beets, peas, and pumpkin.
|
2 to 5 years |
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator |
|
High-acid canned goods. Examples: juices (tomato, orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit); tomatoes; grapefruit, pineapple, apples and apple products, mixed fruit, peaches, pears, plums, all berries, pickles, sauerkraut, and foods treated with vinegar-based sauces or dressings like German potato salad and sauerbraten. |
12 to 18 months |
5 to 7 days in the refrigerator |
Click HERE for additional information on food storage or visit foodsafety.gov.
Do these dates reflect canned goods’ actual shelf life?
According to the Food Safety & Inspection Service of the USDA, canned food (and all food other than infant formula) is not required by law to be dated with any expiration, best by, use by or other date.
When we see the words “Best by ___”, “Use by__” or similar language – this is the manufacturer’s best guess and when the quality may start to change. It is NOT an indicator of food spoilage dates. When we do see dates or codes on food products WITHOUT the words “Best by” or “Use by” – those dates or codes typically indicate the date the food was produced or packed.
Click HERE for more info on food product dating or search for the USDA food safety webpage. The USDA food safety webpage also includes information on shelf stable and canned food HERE.
Our Nutrition services team has also put some information together about other nutrition myths. Follow the link HERE to watch it.
Our team of Registered Dietitians is available for all Food & Friends clients to answer your health and nutrition questions. Reach out to your dietitian to schedule an over-the-phone or online nutrition counseling appointment today! [based on the first letter of your last name]:
A: Becca (202) 269-6885
B-C: Ashley (202) 269-6898
D-I: Nicole (202) 269-6876
J-P: Jenn (202) 269-6879
Q-Z: Matt (202) 269-6887
Move for Meals
We’re launching a new fundraiser: Move for Meals. Participants will walk, run, or bike from anywhere in October, with the goal of raising enough total funds to provide 20,000 medically tailored meals. Any amount of movement goes a long way. Join us or invite your network to participate and further our mission! To learn more, follow the link HERE or scan the QR code below.
Join Gordy Squashington and Move for Meals this October!
Important Reminders
Client Corner: The Client Corner serves as a one-stop shop for clients to reference updated menus, check on delivery procedures, find important contact information, access required paperwork, and find answers to common questions. Check out the site HERE.
Recertification: If you have a recertification deadline approaching, reach out to Hayley, our Recertification Coordinator, at 202-269-6847. You can find the required recertification forms HERE.
Yellow Forms: If you need to reference or submit any of the yellow forms (Client Agreement, Release of Information, Acknowledgement of our Privacy Practices), you can find them HERE.
Non-emergency questions or comments: Contact Food & Friends Client Services at clients@foodandfriends.org. As always, our Delivery Line is available for more time-sensitive matters such as delivery cancellations at (202) 269-6820.
Upcoming Event
Our nutrition team will be sending out a webinar discussing how physical activity is for everyone, can be done by everyone, and how it can benefit your health. Healthy activity does not require expensive equipment, supplements, or memberships, and it doesn’t require hours of your time each day. Be on the lookout for our Intentional Movement webinar to see how exercise can fit best into your healthy lifestyle and reach out to your dietitian if you’d like to discuss more about this or other topics.
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