Mike Reilly and Jeff Blum are a married couple living in D.C. They have two daughters, Della and Eva. For the past ten years, their family has been volunteering by delivering Food & Friends’ medically tailored meals and groceries every month. They are also longtime members of the Bread & Butter Club, our monthly giving program.
Ericka Lafuente is one of the neighbors they have been delivering to for years. Ericka is a D.C. teacher, but she was forced to discontinue teaching when stage four cancer disrupted her life and career.
Ericka Lafuente welcomes Mike, Della, and Eva as they arrive with her medically tailored meals
The family has delivered to Ericka many times over the years and Ericka loves her visits from Della and Eva. Having the family deliver always lifts her spirits. The specialized meals they bring are essential for her medical needs. She has undergone intense rounds of chemo and though sometimes things get especially hard, she is not giving up. Ericka shares that without Food & Friends delivering every week, she may not be here.
Ericka has watched the girls grow up; they have formed a meaningful relationship over time. The deep personal connection they have established has its own healing power. The isolation that often comes with serious illness can be just as dangerous as nutrition insecurity.
Food & Friends medically tailored meals are delivered completely free-of-charge. Mike shared his thoughts about the difference monthly donors make together, “by giving monthly, you get to feel good all the time. Just remember that every month you are providing meals consistently and the organization can count on you. You can feel good about that.”
Jeff was the first person to introduce Mike to Food & Friends. When they first met, Jeff was already donating. “I must give Jeff credit for knowing about Food & Friends early on. It was one of those organizations that had been instrumental in the care of the HIV/AIDS population early on, and keeping a marginalized group cared for.”
Mike (left) and Jeff (right) plan their delivery route
As a physician, Mike has worked in different hospitals in D.C. and seen the incredibly complex nature of the serious and chronic illnesses people must deal with. His close experience working with individuals who are overcoming challenges just to keep their lives moving forward, inspired him to double down on Food & Friends.
“Nutrition is one of the most important things a person can optimize. When I talk to patients, they always ask me, ‘what can I do?’ and in all honesty enhancing your nutrition is one of the few things you can do. People heal much better from surgeries when they are nutritionally replete. There is no doubt. So, the work of Food & Friends makes so much sense to me from a very logical, medical perspective.”
Over time, the commitment to delivering nutritious foods for their entire family broadened. For Della and Eva, it was a way for them to make a tangible and direct impact in their community. Mike and Jeff loved the fact that their daughters could take their impact into action and take it a step beyond supporting an organization as donors.
They were also exposed to communities across the D.C. region they may not normally see, crossing socioeconomic divides of race and class. Mike and Jeff could use these experiences as teaching moments for their daughters to enhance their understanding of the issues impacting the community beyond the scope of their neighborhood. “It helps them understand that we are all connected and need to support one another,” says Jeff.
The family has been supporting Food & Friends since their girls were forming their earliest memories. Mike recalls them mimicking the lion statues outside of big D.C. apartment buildings. They would play a game where every time they dropped off bags of meals, they would hold hands and make a big leap in the air. For each delivery that passed, they would add an additional jump, on the second delivery they do two jumps, three on the third delivery, and so on.
Now, Della and Eva are old enough to heft the big bags unassisted, on sidewalks and steep stairways. Kids grow up so fast, but memories like the ones they are making together last a lifetime.
Mike grew up in a family where community service was especially important, too. He has memories of delivering Christmas presents to underprivileged families with his mom and brother in downtown Detroit every year. Through Food & Friends he has recreated that important tradition of service with his own kids.
Jeff works in local real estate development, so building capacity and taking things to the next level are familiar concepts. He shared this about the importance of monthly support: “If you believe in the mission, then I think it’s best to support the organization at whatever level is appropriate for your family and do it in a consistent way. This helps the organization budget and plan. Give at a level that makes sense for your family, but give, and give consistently. This also makes you feel vested in the organization and that makes you more likely to stay involved for the long-haul and even bring your friends along. You become part of a new community and the rewards are endless.”
This is the last chance to join the Bread & Butter Club monthly giving program and have your first three monthly donations matched before the Board of Directors’ matching gift opportunity expires on February 9. Please join today!
Photo story by Carina Teoh, a fellow delivery volunteer for Food & Friends. A short documentary by Carina is in production about the family, Ericka, and Food & Friends.
