For Immediate Release
Media Contact
Jay Shepley, Communications Director
(202) 269-6857 (office)
jshepley@foodandfriends.org
Food & Friends to Prepare and Deliver a Record-Breaking 4,500 Thanksgiving Dinners for Neighbors in Need
Volunteers and staff carry on a proud community tradition of preparing and delivering fresh Thanksgiving dinners so neighbors with life-challenging illnesses can celebrate the holiday with their families
WHAT:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 7, 2024) A proud Washington D.C. tradition continues this Thanksgiving, as Food & Friends’ staff and volunteers prepare and deliver 4,500 complete holiday meals for adults and children in the Washington D.C. region facing diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other life-challenging illnesses.
On Thanksgiving Day, volunteers and staff will gather before sunrise to prepare meal bags for 200 volunteer drivers. Volunteers will report to the Fort Totten Metro parking lot to pick up and deliver Thanksgiving feasts across the region to households struggling with a life-challenging illness.
Staff and volunteers are preparing 9,000 pounds of turkey, 1,200 pounds of roasted potatoes,1,200 pounds of cornbread stuffing, 114 gallons of gravy, 188 gallons of butternut squash soup, 800 pounds of buttered corn, 800 pounds of braised collard greens, 700 pounds of cranberry sauce, 1,550 pounds of fresh fruit and 6,000 assorted dinner rolls. Each Thanksgiving delivery will feed five people.
“Neighbors in communities across the region continue to be impacted more often by life-challenging illnesses and lack of proper nutrition. Rising food costs make it more difficult for them to pay rent, buy medication, let alone purchase groceries,” says Carrie Stoltzfus, Executive Director of Food & Friends. “Thanksgiving is a special time at Food & Friends because we deliver a celebratory feast for the whole family with the help of a compassionate community of caring neighbors. This is a proud tradition, and we look forward to a strong response from our volunteers and supporters to make this Thanksgiving our most impactful and memorable year to date.”
For the third year, Food & Friends is proud to have Wegmans Food Markets as the premiere sponsor of the holiday event. Chris Holland, Community Engagement & Communications Manager for Wegmans shared this message, “We nurture a garden of year-round support for Food & Friends and during this harvest season, we are grateful that we can help shine a light on the work they do every week of the year. As we prepare for our third year supporting this signature event, we are proud to continue our partnership with Food & Friends to help provide Thanksgiving meals to clients, caregivers, and family. At Wegmans, we are 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. Our employees look forward to working with other community volunteers again. 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 1.9 million medically tailored meals this coming year. To get involved: https://foodandfriends.org/engage/Thanksgiving.
WHEN:
November 20 – 23, and Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, 6 a.m. – 12 p.m.
WHO:
Hundreds of volunteers will join the Food & Friends staff for freshly prepared meal preparation, packing and delivery 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 (11/24 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 on Nov. 20-23 as chefs and volunteers prepare the Thanksgiving meals. On Thanksgiving Day, the 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 the Food & Friends’ Executive Director, chefs, clients, 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. Broadcast quality b-roll is available upon request.
ABOUT FOOD & FRIENDS:
Food & Friends is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provides home-delivered, medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other life-challenging illnesses. Eligibility is based solely on illness and nutritional need and Food & Friends’ services are free of charge for the entire household regardless of income. Monday-Saturday, including holidays, staff and volunteers deliver to 5,400+ square miles (an area a little larger than Connecticut) 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 28.7 million meals to 47,000 individuals (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden). In 2023, Food & Friends was voted as the Best Nonprofit and Best Place to Volunteer in the Washington City Paper Reader’s Poll.
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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