For Immediate Release:
Media Contact:
Jay Shepley, Communications Director
(202) 269-6875
jshepley@foodandfriends.org
Food & Friends to Honor Eight Local Leaders Who Guided Greater Washington Region Through the Pandemic in “Honoring Our Heroes” Gala
Fundraising event raises essential operating funds to support the organization’s mission to deliver meals to children and families living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses.
WASHINGTON (May 10, 2022) — Food & Friends is proud to host a jubilant tribute to the healthcare, social services, and restaurant professionals who kept our community safe and at home during a global health crisis.
Honoring Our Heroes will take place at the Marriott Marquis on June 13, 2022, with a cocktail reception at 6:15 p.m. and a dinner and program at 7:00 p.m. The event will bring together hundreds of leaders, volunteers, supporters, and community champions to recognize the extraordinary contributions of eight frontline changemakers who worked tirelessly to serve our community as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
Event tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found at https://foodandfriends.org/engage/honoring-our-heroes/.
The event will raise essential operating funds to support the continuing work of Food & Friends, which provides home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition therapy to adults, children and families living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
“Honoring Our Heroes is a celebration of the resilience, creativity, and determination of frontline workers over the past two years—the staff and volunteers of Food & Friends, and others who provided food, healthcare, and education.” said Carrie Stoltzfus, executive director of Food & Friends. “We are honoring leaders who selflessly transformed the darkest moments of the pandemic into opportunities to sow compassion. We have designed a celebration worthy of this triumphant moment, and the historically incredible people who got us here. Each honoree represents the core values of Food & Friends and exemplifies our mission to improve the lives and health of those around us. After more than two years of challenge and distance, Honoring Our Heroes is the event we’ve all been waiting for.”
The evening will honor:
- Chief Oluwafunmike Omasere, Battalion Chief DC Fire and EMS
- Chef Teresa Padilla and Geraldine Mendoza, Co-Founders of Taqueria Xochi
- Dominique Foster, Teacher, and Community Organizer at Friendship Public Charter School
- Alvin Chen and Jeffrey Naber, Core Volunteers at Food & Friends
- Reba Miller, BSN, RN, JD, SCRN, ICU Nurse at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
- Dr. Bruno Petinaux, Chief Medical Officer at George Washington University Hospital
In unique ways, each of these leaders embodies the spirit of Food & Friends’ commitment to providing life-sustaining nourishment to our neighbors in need. As individuals, they touched the lives and elevated the spirits of community members across the region. Together, they offer an expansive vision of what it means to serve others.
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ABOUT FOOD & FRIENDS: Food & Friends is the only community-based nonprofit organization that provides home-delivered, medically tailored meals, and nutrition therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other life-challenging illnesses throughout the Washington, DC region. Food & Friends’ services are free-of-charge to recipients who qualify solely based on their health status and nutritional need. Monday-Saturday, including holidays, staff and volunteers deliver to 5,300 square miles including the District of Columbia, seven counties in Maryland, and seven counties and six independent cities in Virginia. Since 1988, Food & Friends has delivered more than 25 million meals to 39,000 individuals. For more information, please visit Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube.