Zoom has ushered in permanent changes to the working world, and tele-health options have revolutionized health care delivery. Here at Food & Friends, remote conferencing technologies have been a valuable tool since the beginning of the pandemic for reaching the seriously ill neighbors we serve. The most exciting initiative in this space at Food & Friends this year takes shape as a monthly online seminar series. Our dietitians host an engaging and interactive discussion each month via Zoom centered on a specific illness. The most recent in the series was our March 16, 2022, offering, “Cancer Nutrition and Mindfulness” in partnership with Hope Connections, a nonprofit that helps people affected by cancer diagnosis.
Food & Friends community dietitian Grace Sinopoli, RD, CSO, LD approaches her job with a keen sense of duty, and a passionate spirit of service to the adults and children we serve. Grace is the newest member of our Nutrition Services team and came here from Chicago where she was working at an outpatient cancer center, supporting patients and their families before, during, and after cancer treatment.
Grace has this to say about her work at Food & Friends, “What we do at Food & Friends creates a sense of community and support. Cancer is not something you can get through alone, and you need support. I am glad we are a source for that, and I am passionate about helping people find resources that can really make a difference for them.”
Grace Sinopoli, RDN, LD, CSO, Community Dietitian
Soon after Grace joined the team, Nutrition Services Director Becca Kahn MA, RD, LD hosted a brainstorming session to see which topic each dietitian would like to lead an online seminar on. Grace immediately volunteered to lead the session on cancer, given her background in oncology nutrition. She also thought outside of the box to build a partnership that would enhance the experience for participants. Grace reached out to Stephanie Stern, LCSW-C, Program Director of Hope Connections to see if she would be interested in participating. Stephanie gladly obliged, seeing the synergies.
Grace’s idea to bring in Hope Connections came directly from one of the seriously ill neighbors she is helping navigate cancer treatment and nutrition. “I had heard from a client at Food & Friends about how they had a wonderful experience being a part of programming with Hope Connections. I was looking for a way to incorporate some elements of mind, body, and practice into the online seminar we were doing. I reached out to Stephanie, and it turned out to be a great connection.”
Cancer is a broad set of illnesses with no catch-all nutrition solution. During the online seminar, participants came with a breadth of questions and health concerns. Many of them asked questions related to sugar. Excessive sugar can lead to obesity, which creates a pro-carcinogenic state, but it is not necessary to completely avoid it. Some of the seriously ill neighbors in the Zoom were afraid of any sugar intake, and Grace was grateful to dispel that notion.
“Something I really try to do is help people sort through that worry and confusion, and that fear around food. I enjoy working through those challenges and reframing nutrition as something that can support them and help them feel as well as possible. Nutrition is especially important, but food is also a source of connection, enjoyment, and fulfillment and we cannot lose sight of that.”
Illnesses can make it difficult to eat well or make it impossible for people to obtain and cook nutritious foods for themselves. That is where Food & Friends comes in. By home-delivering freshly prepared medically tailored meals we can help seriously ill neighbors sustain their quality of life, maintain their energy, and feel as well as possible during those challenging times. That is our core purpose. But it extends further through the connections we create with our community dietitians, volunteers, and staff.
By bringing on partners like Hope Connections, we can add more value to the Food & Friends experience for the neighbors we serve. Stephanie Stern, LCSW-C, Program Director, Hope Connections sums up their work: “Hope Connections believes, No One Should Face Cancer Alone; we are a non-profit organization that provides support to people who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones. We offer support groups, mind/body classes and educational workshops. All our services are professionally facilitated and free of cost. We are thrilled to be partnering with Food & Friends on this important topic!”
Larry Bricker of Hope Connections joined Grace’s online seminar to teach techniques to minimize pain, reduce stress and increase feelings of wellness. Larry led mindfulness and breathing exercises to help increase their healing toolkit as they battle illness. Physical health and nutrition are just one key piece of wellbeing. There are benefits of mindfulness to physical health, that help cope with stress that we are all going through in the world today.
We are called Food & Friends for a reason. It goes far beyond food, and much of our mission is centered on healing relationships. By connecting the seriously ill neighbors we serve to a supportive community, we are working towards our vision. Whether that is done through the neighbor who volunteers to deliver the freshly prepared meals with a kind word and friendly smile, or through the expert advice of our registered dietitians, or community partners, this approach is what separates Food & Friends from competitors who only provide food.
As members of the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC), we are proud to incorporate innovative practices in nutrition. But the thing that makes FIMC organizations uniquely valuable is the fact that we recognize everyone as a member of the community we belong to. Donors make our mission possible, and everything we provide is free-of-charge to the recipient. No one should have to go through a serious illness alone, without nutritious foods, not knowing that neighbors care. For the most vulnerable in our community, that is a reality that we see far too often. So, it is our responsibility to be there to help through every step of the way, and like Grace, we are passionate about making a tangible difference every day.