For Immediate Release
Media Contact
Jay Shepley, Communications Director
(202) 269-6857 (office); (812) 327-7849 (cell)
jshepley@foodandfriends.org
Volunteers and staff carry on a proud community tradition of caring for those in need, as individuals struggle with serious illness and food insecurity
WHAT:
A proud Washington D.C. tradition continues this Thanksgiving, as Food & Friends’ staff and volunteers prepare and deliver 4,030 complete holiday meals to adults and children in the Washington D.C. region facing HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Volunteers and staff are working hard to prepare meals in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, nearly 200 volunteer drivers will come through the Fort Totten Metro parking lot to pick up and home deliver full Thanksgiving dinners across the region to households struggling with a life challenging illness.
Staff and volunteers are preparing 8,520 pounds of turkey, 1,065 pounds of roasted potatoes, 1,065 pounds of cornbread stuffing, 94 gallons of gravy, 76 gallons of butternut squash soup, 780 pounds of buttered corn, 780 pounds of braised collard greens, 650 pounds of cranberry sauce, 1,420 pieces of fresh fruit and 5,680 dinner rolls. Each Thanksgiving delivery will feed five people.
“Managing a life challenging illness is difficult under the best circumstances, but for the majority of individuals receiving our meals, rising costs make it more difficult for them to pay rent, buy medication, let alone purchase groceries,” says Carrie Stoltzfus, Executive Director of Food & Friends. “We can make Thanksgiving a much better holiday for them. This is a proud community tradition, and we look forward to a strong response from our volunteers and supporters to fulfill our promise to our seriously ill neighbors.”
For the second year, Food & Friends is proud to have Wegmans Food Markets as the premiere sponsor of the holiday event. Chris Holland, Community Relations for Wegmans Food Markets shared this message about their commitment, “at Wegmans, we’re committed to improving the physical, emotional, and mental health of our communities by increasing access to wholesome food and resources for living a healthier, better life. As we embark on our second year sponsoring this important event, we’re proud to continue our partnership with Food & Friends to help provide Thanksgiving meals to clients, caregivers and family. Our employees look forward to working hand in hand with other volunteers from the community. Together, we can make our neighborhoods stronger.”
Food & Friends depends on the support of the entire community to make Thanksgiving a reality for its clients and will deliver 1.65 million medically tailored meals this coming year. To get involved in efforts and join the movement to bring food that heals to seriously ill neighbors in need visit: https://foodandfriends.org/engage/Thanksgiving.
WHEN:
November 22 – 23, and Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, 6 a.m. – 12 p.m.
WHO:
Hundreds of volunteers will join Food & Friends staff for meal packing and deliveries to the homes of individuals living with a life challenging illness
WHERE:
Activities will take place in two locations:
Food packing:
Beginning 6 a.m. at Food & Friends’ facility, 219 Riggs Road NE, Washington, DC, 20011
Delivery pickups (11/25 only):
Beginning 7:30 a.m. at Fort Totten Metro Station Parking Lot
VISUALS / INTERVIEWS:
Reporters and cameras are invited into the Food & Friends kitchen Nov 22 – 24 as chefs and volunteers prepare the Thanksgiving meals. On Thanksgiving Day, media are invited to cover both the indoor packing operation and outdoor delivery pickup operation. Opportunities to accompany a delivery and interview a meal recipient are available upon request. Interview opportunities include Food & Friends’ CEO, chefs, and volunteers. Live shot opportunities are available and encouraged!
MEDIA NOTE: Please contact Jay Shepley at 202-269-6875 or jshepley@foodandfriends.org to coordinate coverage.
ABOUT FOOD & FRIENDS: Food & Friends is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provides home-delivered, specialized meals and nutrition counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other life-challenging illnesses. 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 5,400 square miles including the District of Columbia, nine counties in Maryland, and seven counties and six independent cities in Virginia. Since 1988, Food & Friends has delivered more than 25 million meals to 41,000 individuals.
ABOUT WEGMANS: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 109 stores located along the east coast. The family company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 25 consecutive years, ranking #3 in 2022. The company also ranked #5 for corporate reputation among the 100 most visible companies, according to the 2022 Axios Harris Poll 100 Reputation Quotient® study.
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