WASHINGTON, DC – The Root Cause Coalition welcomed Food & Friends as its newest member and 14th new addition since January 1st, 2018.
Located in Washington, D.C., Food & Friends delivers nutritionally-tailored, delicious meals directly to its clients’ homes. The organization’s mission is to improve the lives and health of people with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses that limit their ability to provide nourishment for themselves.
“The Root Cause Coalition is privileged to welcome its newest nonprofit-sector partner, and a well-respected D.C. institution, in Food & Friends,” said Barbara Petee, Executive Director of The Root Cause Coalition. “This is an organization that understands the manifold connections between food and health. Through its direct delivery of medically tailored meals to some of Washington’s most vulnerable people, Food & Friends has established a model for successful social-determinant interventions in the nation’s capital.”
“Food & Friends is proud to be joining the Root Cause Coalition and our fellow members committed to improving health through nutrition. The work we do every day strikes at the heart of health equity, ensuring that any person who is nutritionally compromised as a result of illness has the food and support they need to beat or manage their disease,” said Craig Shniderman, Executive Director of Food & Friends. “We are excited about the possibilities this deeper connection with our peers and allies will bring to both our organization and to the broader community.”
Founded in 1988, Food & Friends began operations as a home-delivered meal service for people with AIDS. Sensing that its services were filling a broader need within the community, the organization expanded throughout the ensuing decades to cover 5,300 square miles of Washington Metro Area and comprise more than 8,500 dedicated volunteers.
To date, Food & Friends has served more than 21 millions meals to 31,000 clients. These meals provide the organization’s clients with essential nourishment and are carefully developed to improve health outcomes and overall well-being. Food & Friends’ registered dietitians and chefs work together to tailor individual meal plans based on what each person needs to battle their complex disease, taking into consideration medications, personal preferences, symptoms and side effects.
About The Root Cause Coalition
Established in 2015, The Root Cause Coalition is a non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of 55 leading health systems, hospital associations, foundations, businesses, national and community nonprofits, health insurers, academic institutions and policy centers. The Coalition works to achieve health equity through cross-sector collaboration in advocacy, education and research. For more information, visit www.rootcausecoalition.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.