WASHINGTON, D.C. (Thursday, July 16, 2026) — Food & Friends has once again been recognized by the community as one of the region’s most celebrated nonprofit organizations, earning Best Place to Volunteer and Best Charity Event for Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction in the Washington City Paper 2026 Best of D.C. readers’ poll. The annual awards celebrate the organizations, businesses, and people that make the Washington region exceptional, with winners selected by thousands of community votes.
The dual honors continue a remarkable streak of four consecutive Best Place to Volunteer wins and back-to-back Best Charity Event wins for Food & Friends, reflecting the support of the volunteers, donors, partners, and neighbors who make the organization’s mission possible. In 2025, Food & Friends earned three Best of D.C. awards, including Best Nonprofit, Best Place to Volunteer, and Best Charity Event for Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction.
“This recognition belongs to every volunteer who chooses to spend their time caring for our neighbors,” said Katrina Mathis, Director of Volunteer Services at Food & Friends. “Whether someone joins us for one afternoon or volunteers for decades, they become part of a compassionate community that delivers far more than meals—they deliver hope and connection. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for us and to the thousands of volunteers who make our mission possible every day.”
In 2025 alone, 4,566 volunteers gave their time to help prepare, pack, and deliver 2.2 million medically tailored meals to neighbors living with serious illnesses throughout the Washington metropolitan region. Every meal is designed by registered dietitians and prepared by professional chefs to support the health and recovery of individuals facing illnesses such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, heart disease, and other complex medical conditions.
“This recognition is a celebration of our entire Food & Friends community,” said Carrie Stoltzfus, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of Food & Friends. “Every volunteer, donor, healthcare partner, and supporter plays an essential role in ensuring our neighbors receive the nutrition they need to heal and thrive. As demand for medically tailored meals continues to grow, these awards inspire us as we build toward the future through our Nourish Together: Building a Healthy Community campaign, expanding our capacity to serve thousands more neighbors in the years ahead.”
Founded in 1988, Food & Friends is the Washington region’s leader in medically tailored meals, delivering more than 32.6 million meals since its founding while also providing nutrition counseling at no cost to individuals living with serious illnesses.
Food & Friends recently launched the public phase of its $30 million Nourish Together: Building a Healthy Community campaign to expand its facility and double meal production capacity over the next decade. The project will allow the organization to meet the growing demand for medically tailored meals while enhancing volunteer experiences and strengthening its role as the region’s Food is Medicine leader.
Food & Friends welcomes volunteers of all ages and skill levels throughout the year. Opportunities include meal preparation, packing medically tailored meals, home delivery, grocery packing, administrative support, and special events.
To learn more about volunteering or supporting Food & Friends, visit Food & Friends’ website at www.foodandfriends.org.
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.
Media Contact
Cameron Whitaker
Director of Communications
O:(202) 269-6875 or C: (202) 699-3476
cwhitaker@foodandfriends.org