As we start off this new year, I want to take a moment to express how grateful we are to continue to serve each and every one of you. May this year bring you prosperity, happiness, and improved health. We look forward to hearing from you during our focus groups, sharing with you through our Facebook group and fellowshipping with you during our client social hours. It is our mission to provide you with nutritious meals throughout the year, but also be a resource for you for other community services that will benefit you and your loved ones. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.
Cheers to 2025!
Phyllis Givens
Client Services Director
Welcome Kiara
Food & Friends is proud to introduce Kiara as the most recent addition to our client services team. Kiara joined us in August as part of the Avodah Service Corp. From Corvallis, Oregon, Kiara majored in Anthropology with a Hispanic Studies minor at Whitman College. In her free time, Kiara enjoys dancing, cooking, and reading.
She’ll be working at Food & Friends through next Summer. As a Spanish speaker, Kiara brings unique skills and talents to our team and is looking forward to assisting our Spanish-speaking clients. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Kiara as one of the newest members of our team. ¡Bienvenida Kiara!
Special Valentine’s Deliveries
Our team recently had the opportunity to sit down with local student Patrick Kaufmann to discuss his inspiring Valentine’s Day project: Valentines by Kids. What began as a small initiative at his middle school has since grown into an annual tradition and his very own nonprofit organization. With the help of students from schools across the DMV region, Patrick has gathered Valentine’s Day cards to be delivered to clients of Food & Friends, as well as patients in local hospitals and residents of area nursing homes.
Over the years, Patrick’s project has provided tens of thousands of cards with heartfelt messages to individuals who might otherwise go without them. As we celebrate American Heart Month this February, Partick’s project serves as a reminder of the impact that spreading love and kindness can have in our communities. Join us as we learn more about this amazing initiative, the incredible growth it’s seen, and the impact it’s had on both the students involved and the recipients it’s served.
Read our interview with Patrick here.
Client Social Hour
On February 12th, our client and nutrition services teams hosted our first client social hour of the year. Clients gathered on a Zoom call to meet and connect with fellow clients, share their experiences, and get to know the Food & Friends community a little better.
Social hours include introductory games and icebreakers, group activities and discussions, and a gift card raffle for participants. These events are a great way to get more involved with our community, so look out for news about upcoming opportunities to join future client social hours!
New Menus and Calendars
The Food & Friends’ nutrition team has introduced updated meal and grocery menus for 2025! 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 HERE, or email nutrition@foodandfriends.org.
Facebook
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.
Inclement Weather Scheduling and Grocery Deliveries
The D.C. metro area has had its fair share of winter weather this year. Food & Friends is determined to continue delivering to our clients through these conditions.
In response to inclement weather, we occasionally adjust our delivery schedule to avoid unsafe road conditions. Typically, this means adjusting that week’s schedule by delivering meals and groceries on an earlier day. When this occurs, our team will send messages via text and email to inform clients of the change.
Inclement weather and other events in and around Washington, D.C., can sometimes lead to road closures that impact our ability to deliver food to clients’ homes. When we have advanced knowledge of such closures, Food & Friends adjusts its delivery schedule accordingly. If your regularly scheduled delivery is affected, our team will send messages via text and email to inform you of an adjusted delivery date.
If you receive grocery deliveries, Food & Friends will send extra-packed bags with the delivery preceding the affected date. Please refer to the photos below to see how the bags are prepared if our team needs to adjust the regular delivery schedule.
Your Nutrition Team
Our team of registered dieticians is available for all Food & Friends clients to answer your health and nutrition questions. Reach out to your dietician 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
Important Reminders
Updated Menus: Find up-to-date menus for both our Medically Tailored Meals and Groceries on our website HERE.
Recertification: If you have a recertification deadline approaching, reach out to Sophie, 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.