Your Client Services Team
This year, we said farewell to our Intake Coordinator, Maggie Snow. Over the past two years, Maggie played an important role on our team onboarding new clients and ensuring a smooth intake process. Maggie’s commitment to our clients was always apparent in her work. Join us in expressing our gratitude for her valuable contributions and in wishing her the best in all her future endeavors. She will be missed by both our team and our clients alike!
We are excited to announce that Mira Kauffman-Rosengarten has taken on the role of Intake Coordinator. Mira has been with Food & Friends for more than a year, and she is excited to continue serving our clients and to welcome new clients into the Food & Friends community. Mira previously served as your Client Services Advocate and Recertification Coordinator, and we are confident that she will continue to be successful in her new position.
Furthermore, we are delighted to introduce Sophie in her new role of Recertification Coordinator. Sophie joined our team this past Fall as our Client Services Coordinator. In her short time at Food & Friends, she has developed great relationships with many of our clients, and she is looking forward to continuing to do so in her new position.
Finally, a warm welcome to Hayley Murguia, the newest member of the Client Services team. Hayley has spent the past year on the Food & Friends development team as the Development Operations Assistant. She is looking forward to getting to know and working with our clients, and we’re thrilled to have her on board. Please join us in welcoming Hayley to the Client Services team!
Facebook Group
Our Client Facebook Group is open for the Food & Friends community! This space is all about connecting with our Client Services Team, Registered Dieticians, and fellow clients. As a member of this group, you will find answers to common questions, engage with staff and your peers, and stay updated on delivery changes and upcoming events. To become a part of this supportive community, click HERE or scan the QR code.
Menu Changes
Food & Friends has introduced updated meal plans for 2024! You may soon notice the names of new meal plans on labels and menus. As always, the meals are designed to be low in sodium, low in saturated fat, and offer consistent carbohydrates. Our updated menus are available to print and download from our website HERE.
Questions about the menus or your food? Don’t hesitate to contact our nutrition team. Find your dietitian’s contact information on the following page, or email nutrition@foodandfriends.org
Client Social Hour
This month, Food & Friends hosted a virtual Client Social Hour. Food & Friends clients met over a Zoom call with members of the Client Services and Nutrition teams to get to know one another, share stories, and ask questions. Three lucky participants came away with gift cards to a store of their choice after winning the Social Hour raffle! Stay tuned for updates from the Client Services team about future Social Hour opportunities!
Valentine’s Cards
This year, Food & Friends continued what has become a Valentine’s Day tradition. Local high school student Patrick Kaufmann coordinated with more than 60 schools to create over 16,000 Valentine’s Day cards for our clients and those in hospitals, nursing homes, and care centers. Since 2021, Patrick has led this project with the goal of enlivening spirits during the holiday.
Patrick and his father have served as Food & Friends volunteers for years. What started as a small project between a local student and his classmates has grown into a regional effort with schools participating across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Patrick has started his own nonprofit organization, Valentines by Kids, to maximize the impact of this uplifting initiative. We hope you enjoyed the warm messages and illustrations provided by the students this year, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Patrick in the coming years!
Roasted Brocolli & Chicken Medley
For clients receiving our Medically Tailored Groceries, here’s a new recipe from our nutrition team that is not found in your recipe booklet. Follow the link HERE for full directions.
Ingredients:
2-3 Food & Friends potatoes (or 1-2 Food & Friends Sweet Potatoes)
1-2 Tablespoons Food & Friends vegetable oil
3-4 Food & Friends chicken breasts-defrosted in the refrigerator or microwave
2 Tablespoons Food & Friends lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Food & Friends vinaigrette
1 head of Food & Friends broccoli, cut into
Optional:
Use Food & Friends fresh ginger—grate about 1 tsp into the lemon juice/vinaigrette. (Freezing the ginger makes it easy to grate with a cheese grater.)
If your service is coming to an end with us, and you need inspiration for recipes outside of the Medically-Tailored Grocery list, click HERE for one we really like. If you would like other recipe ideas, don’t forget about our Community Dietitian Matt’s Nutrition in the Kitchen webinar series. Access the webinar series by following the link HERE. Additional recipes are available in our recipe booklet HERE.
Have a recipe you would like to share with the Food & Friends Community? We would love to hear about it! Contact our nutrition team at nutrition@foodandfriends.org.
Your Nutrition Team
Our team of registered dieticians is available for all Food & Friends clients to answer your questions regarding health and nutrition. Find your dietitian’s contact information below to schedule an over-the-phone or online nutrition counseling appointment today! [based on the first letter(s) of your last name]:
A: Becca (202) 269-6885
Ba-Be & C-I: Nicole (202) 269-6876
Bi-Br & J-P: Jenn (202) 269-6897
Bu-By & Q-Z: Matt (202) 269-6887
Important Reminders
Updated Menus: You can access our latest menus for both Medically Tailored Meals and Groceries on our website. Click HERE to view them.
Recertification: If you have a recertification deadline approaching, don’t hesitate to reach out to Sophie, our Recertification Coordinator, at 202-269-6847. If you need to reference or submit recertification paperwork, you can find it 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.