Washington, D.C. (Monday, July 6, 2026) — Food & Friends will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, July 13, 2026, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at its headquarters, 219 Riggs Road NE, Washington, D.C., to mark the start of an 18 to 24 month building expansion and renovation. The organization will be adding 17,000 square feet and renovating their 24,000 square foot meal production and program facility to significantly strengthen the organization’s ability to meet growing community need for medically tailored meals.
The July 13 ceremony will bring together Food & Friends leadership, board members, volunteers, community partners, supporters, and elected officials to celebrate the next chapter in the organization’s nearly 40-year mission. Among those providing remarks will be Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) for his work around the Food is Medicine movement and DC Councilmember, Christina Henderson, representing the District of Columbia which has been a longtime partner of Food & Friends and included $1.5M toward this project in the recently approved DC budget.
The expansion is the culmination of Food & Friends’ Nourish Together: Building a Healthy Community $30M fundraising campaign and will allow the organization to double its medically tailored meal production capacity over the next 10 years, serve more neighbors living with serious and chronic illnesses, and expand access to individualized nutrition counseling and wellness education.
“Food is medicine, and demand for medically tailored meals continues to grow across our region,” said Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH, CEO of Food & Friends. “This expansion will allow us to reach more neighbors at the moment they need us most, providing nourishment, dignity, and connection while improving health outcomes and quality of life.”
Food & Friends is the only full-scale medically tailored meal provider in the Greater Washington, D.C. region that provides free, home-delivered medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy to individuals living with cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. No food bank, pantry or other meal program designs meals tailored for individuals who have complex health needs. In 2025, the organization prepared more than 2.2 million meals for more than 6,200 clients, dependents, and caregivers, pushing its current facility to full capacity amid rising referrals from healthcare partners.
The expanded facility will include:
- Increased kitchen and food production space to support higher meal volume
- Two fully functional loading docks to accommodate multiple deliveries a day, improve efficiency and safety for food deliveries
- Dedicated rooms for one-on-one nutrition counseling with registered dietitians
- Expanded volunteer work areas to accommodate the thousands of volunteers who make the mission possible
- Additional office and meeting space for a growing staff
Research shows that medically tailored meals can significantly reduce hospitalizations and healthcare costs while improving health outcomes—results Food & Friends consistently sees in independent studies and client-reported improvements to blood sugar, blood pressure, and quality of life.
“No one plans to need our services,” Stoltzfus added. “But when serious illness disrupts daily life, access to medically appropriate food can be transformational. The July groundbreaking represents more than a construction milestone—it’s a commitment to health equity and to bringing more people to the table.”
Construction following the groundbreaking is expected to begin immediately, positioning Food & Friends to meet the region’s growing needs for decades to come.
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About Food & Friends
Food & Friends is the Washington, D.C. region’s leading authority on Food is Medicine and the only community-based organization delivering medically tailored meals and providing 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, 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. Nearly 2.2 million meals will be delivered to more than 6,000 in 2026. Since 1988, Food & Friends has delivered more than 32.6 million meals to 53,500 individuals. The organization is accredited by the national Food is Medicine Coalition.
For more information, visit FoodAndFriends.org or on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.