Medically Tailored Meals Archives

Buck-I-SERV Students Find Purpose and Connection at Food & Friends

Earlier this year, a group of Ohio State University students traveled to Washington, DC, not just to see the sights, but to serve the community through Buck-I-SERV, the university’s signature alternative break program. Their destination was Food & Friends, the D.C. region’s leader in providing medically tailored meals to people living with serious illnesses. For many of the students, the experience became one of the most meaningful volunteer opportunities they had ever had.

Buck-I-SERV (Buckeyes Involved in Service) is designed to immerse students in service while encouraging reflection, learning, and connection. The program offers students the chance to travel locally, nationally, or internationally to partner with community organizations and explore social issues firsthand. This trip to Washington, DC marked the first Buck-I-SERV experience for many participants—and their first time visiting the city.

From the moment they arrived at Food & Friends, students were struck by how welcoming and organized the organization was. “Everybody here is super cool and knowledgeable,” said second-year student Allison Christensen. “It’s really easy to jump right in and get busy. We’re always doing something productive, and it feels time-efficient and meaningful.” That sense of purpose was echoed by many in the group, who appreciated being able to clearly see how their work contributed to the organization’s mission.

Buck-I-Serv students pack medically tailored meals for neighbors in need

First-year student Chris Fakult shared how impactful it was to volunteer with people who were deeply passionate about their work. “Everybody was excited to show us the ropes and happy to see us here,” he said. “Knowing the mission makes it feel even better. We know the meals we’re helping prepare can have a real impact on someone’s life.”

Food & Friends’ focus on medically tailored meals resonated strongly with students, particularly those interested in health care or those with personal connections to the mission. Anne Weber, who has seen family members navigate serious health challenges, described the week as deeply fulfilling. “Knowing I’m doing something that could help people like my grandparents feels really good,” she said. “If I had to sum up the week in one word, it would be fulfilling.”

Buck-I-SERV pack medically tailored groceries for neighbors in need

Student volunteers also valued the connections they built with one another. Coming from a large university with countless majors and colleges, Buck-I-SERV created a unique space for students studying everything from mechanical and aerospace engineering to social work, neuroscience, and health sciences to work side by side. “We’re all so different academically, but we’re here for the same reason,” one student shared. “That makes it really special.”

Beyond the tangible service, students spoke about how the experience encouraged mindfulness, reflection, and community engagement, core goals of the Buck-I-SERV program. Whether motivated by a desire to serve, an interest in medicine, or the opportunity to explore a new city, students left Food & Friends with a stronger understanding of how service, food, and compassion intersect.

By the end of the week, one thing was clear: the partnership between Buck-I-SERV and Food & Friends not only supported an essential mission, but also left a lasting impact on the Buckeyes who gave their time and energy.

If you’re a part of school group and would like to volunteer with Food & Friends, visit https://foodandfriends.org/volunteer/volunteer-with-us/ to see how you can give back to neighbors in need.

Food & Friends Shares How Medically Tailored Meals Are Improving Cancer Care

On March 12, clinicians, advocates, and community leaders came together in Washington, D.C. for the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium, hosted by the American Cancer Society. The conversation centered on something simple, but powerful: how food can and should be part of cancer care. Among the voices leading that conversation was Food & Friends’ Director of Nutrition Services, Rebecca (Becca) Kahn, MA, RD, LD, and client Kadijah Ash. Together, they offered a clear, human picture of what how medically tailored meals can improve health outcomes for neighbors in need.

Becca shared that while many neighbors in need find their way to Food & Friends through a referral from their doctor, social worker, and care teams, Food & Friends is also working more closely with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), building new pathways so more people can access medically tailored meals.

Rebecca Kahn, Director of Nutrition Services, speaks at the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium

That work takes time. It takes trust. And it takes a lot of relationship-building. Becca spoke honestly about that process: how important it is to meet partners where they are and help them understand not just what Food & Friends does as the region’s leader in Food is Medicine, but why it matters for improving patient outcomes, reducing hospital visits and lowering the cost of care.

But if Becca helped explain the system, Kadijah helped everyone in the room feel it.

Kadijah Ash, is a Food & Friends client living with cancer. During the panel discussion, she spoke about her experience as a client with a kind of honesty that immediately grounded the conversation. “Becca is the one who will call me and just see how I’m doing,” she said. “She was a caregiver crème de la crème.”

For Kadijah, what stood out most wasn’t just the support she received, it was how personal it was. Becca didn’t just check in on her meals or her health. She asked about her son, too, making sure he had what he needed. That kind of care goes beyond nutrition. It says: you matter, your family matters, and Food & Friends see the full picture of your life.

Kadijah also offered something the room couldn’t ignore: a reminder to truly listen.

“Listen to the people over the paper,” she said.

Kadijah Ash, client, speaks at the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium

Charts and data have their place. But they don’t tell you how someone is really feeling. They don’t tell you what’s missing. Kadijah made it clear that when providers slow down and listen, they don’t just improve care for one person, they build understanding that can help the next.

When asked what advice she would give to others facing illness, Kadijah didn’t hesitate. She talked about a moment when a nurse assumed she was healthy just by looking at her—an experience that stuck with her and shaped how she approaches her care.

Her message was simple, and powerful: advocate for yourself.

“Fine is not a feeling,” she said. “Speak up for yourself and tell people how you’re really feeling.”

That willingness to speak up made a difference even in small ways. Kadijah shared how she told Becca she needed seasoning to better enjoy her meals. Soon after, she started receiving spice packets with her meals. It’s a small detail, but it speaks volumes. Care should be responsive. It should feel human.

“I tell people that the doctors and specialists are experts on what they’re experts on,” she said. “But I am an expert on me.”

That line stayed with the room.

Becca Kahn, Kadijah Ash and Food & Friends CEO Carrie Stotlzfus pictured at the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium

Together, Becca and Kadijah reminded everyone that food as medicine isn’t just about meals. It’s about trust and listening. It’s about meeting people where they are and walking alongside them.

To see the full conversation, watch the panel discussion here:
https://youtu.be/Lhv4b78NNJQ?si=49qM1ptqkId_8TR9&t=14201

Behind the Turkeys – Thanksgiving at Food & Friends with Leslye Wooley

For Chief Program Officer Leslye Wooley, November means one thing: Thanksgiving. That’s because preparing for Thanksgiving Day at Food & Friends is a massive, months-long effort involving staff, volunteers, and hundreds of turkeys.

“The chefs are roasting 844 turkeys,” Wooley explained. “They are preparing all the sides, but then volunteers are coming in and portioning and packing throughout the month.”

Planning and preparation begin early. “The Executive Chef and I start talking turkeys in July. By the first week of November, all of the Thanksgiving ingredients arrive for food prep to begin,” Wooley said. “Volunteers start portioning and packing all the sides, and then they go in the freezer.” The only Sunday the kitchen is open all year is “Turkey Sunday,” when a small group of dedicated volunteers prep hundreds of turkeys for roasting.

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Day, Food & Friends’ team of chefs, delivery drivers, and volunteers continue to prepare roughly 7,100 regular medically tailored meals a day and deliver them to clients living with serious illnesses — an impressive balancing act of logistics and care.

On Thanksgiving morning, volunteers arrive as early as 4:30 a.m. to help in the kitchen, while others soon begin deliveries across the region. “People want to share their day with us and, most importantly, with our clients,” Wooley said. “It’s pretty amazing and heartwarming, especially in a time when things are difficult.”

Reflecting on what she’s most thankful for, she added, “I’m always thankful for the number of volunteers that come at 4:30 in the morning…or the volunteers that are arriving at 8 a.m. to pick up Thanksgiving meals that they’re going to then drive out throughout the entire area…The fact that people want to share their day with us and our clients is pretty amazing and heartwarming.”

For clients, the impact goes far beyond the meal itself. “When we’re able to provide a full Thanksgiving meal that can feed up to five people, that’s that person’s chance to invite people over and share their Thanksgiving,” Wooley said. “It’s their chance to do something good for the people who have been helping to care for them.”

This Thanksgiving, Food & Friends will provide meals for nearly 1,000 families across the Washington region. Learn more about our Thanksgiving program and how you can get involved at foodandfriends.org/engage/thanksgiving.

Dr. Richard Katz: A Lifelong Advocate for Food, Health, and Community

When Dr. Richard Katz first heard about Food & Friends more than two decades ago, it wasn’t through a professional connection, but from a neighbor. Steve Handelsman, an NBC reporter and biking buddy of Dr. Katz, invited him to see the organization where his daughters volunteered. What began as a simple introduction would grow into a lifelong relationship, one that has touched hundreds of patients, students, and community members along the way.

As the longtime Chief of Cardiology at George Washington University, Dr. Katz devoted his career to advancing heart health. Yet he always believed that medicine alone wasn’t enough. “I wanted young doctors and trainees to see that community service is part of being a physician,” he recalls. For years, Dr. Katz brought cardiology fellows, faculty, and nurses to Food & Friends on Saturday mornings to pack meals. These experiences not only supported Food & Friends’ mission but also instilled in future doctors the importance of serving people beyond the walls of the hospital.

Over the year, Dr. Katz’s connection to Food & Friends deepened through collaboration. Alongside his colleague, Dr. Gurusher Panjrath, he helped launch a project focused on patients living with diabetes. Together with Food & Friends’ dietitians and chefs, they explored how medically tailored meals could help people manage their condition. The success of that project played a role in Food & Friends’ decision to expand services to include clients living with diabetes—a milestone that has since improved countless lives.

Another initiative brought the partnership inside the hospital. Working with GW’s heart service team, Dr. Katz helped connect patients being discharged with heart failure and other chronic illnesses to Food & Friends meals. For patients facing the dual challenges of recovery and food insecurity, this support provided more than nourishment, it offered hope and stability at a vulnerable moment.

Even in retirement, Dr. Katz continues to champion the “food is medicine” movement. He now devotes much of his time to GW’s Culinary Medicine program, led by Dr. Tim Harlan, which teaches medical students, undergraduates, and community members about healthy cooking and nutrition. As part of the program, students visit Food & Friends to better understand how access to nutritious meals can transform lives. “It’s about teaching the next generation of doctors that food and health are inseparable,” he says.

For Dr. Katz, the philosophy behind Food & Friends is simple yet profound: meals must be healthy, accessible, and flavorful. He believes Food & Friends excels at meeting all three. “The meals aren’t just medically tailored, they’re delicious and culturally relevant,” he explains. “That’s what keeps people engaged and helps them carry healthy habits into the future.”

Dr. Katz and his wife have supported Food & Friends philanthropically as well, attending the annual Chef’s Best Dinner and Auction and contributing to its mission. He sees his involvement not only as a personal passion but also as a responsibility. “It’s about community,” he says. “Food & Friends gives people the nourishment they need to heal, but also the dignity of knowing someone cares.”

Dr. Katz’s story is a reminder of the ripple effect one person can have. Through his leadership, students have embraced service, patients have gained access to life-changing meals, and Food & Friends has expanded its reach throughout the region. His journey shows that when medicine and community come together, the results are extraordinary.

And it all began with a simple invitation to get involved.

Behind the Meals: 2025 Nourish to Flourish Webinar Recap

Food & Friends recently invited our community to step behind the scenes during our Nourish to Flourish Webinar, giving supporters a closer look at how we design our meals, expand our programs, and serve neighbors in need with care and compassion.

The 2025 webinar, held in September, took participants inside our kitchen and nutrition program to see how medically tailored meals come to life. Led by Carrie Stoltzfus, CEO, and Rebecca Kahn, Director of Nutrition Services, viewers learned how our team creates meal plans that meet the unique health needs of every client and how we decide when and how to expand our menus to include new illnesses –- including the development of our newest menu for clients living with sickle cell disease.

One of the most memorable moments came from Kadijah Ash, who shared her powerful story as a former volunteer, a former DC Department of Health employee, and now a Food & Friends client living with cancer. Kadijah spoke about how receiving medically tailored meals has helped her focus on healing and well-being, while also giving her the strength to advocate for others in her community.

“Thank you for funding Food & Friends. It is literally meaning life to me,” Ash says. “They fill a need like no one else.”

Participants also had the chance to submit questions directly to our webinar presenters where they answered questions about menu decisions, dietary accommodations (e.g. allergies, cultural preferences), eligibility requirements, and future directions (e.g., new menus, scaling).

If you missed this inspiring event, you can watch the full 2025 Nourish to Flourish Webinar here: https://youtu.be/TwJQonnu0JA.

Want to explore the meals that make our mission possible? See our client menus here: https://foodandfriends.org/client-corner/client_corners_menus/