Food & Friends To Prepare And Deliver 3,500 Thanksgiving Meals

9,800 Pounds of Turkey and 1,660 Pies on the Menu for DC-Area Residents Living with HIV/AIDS, Cancer and Other Life-Challenging Illnesses Media Contact Chris Copley Cell: (706) 614-6383 Email: ccopley@foodandfriends.org Washington, DC– For millions of people throughout the country, Thanksgiving is a time for generous servings of stuffing, second helpings of mashed potatoes and a thick slice of pumpkin pie. But for thousands of people in the DC Metro region, Thanksgiving is about more than a big meal. It’s about living to see another holiday and taking a short break from the daily struggle of living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other debilitating diseases. This Thanksgiving, Food & Friends’ staff and hundreds of volunteers will prepare and deliver 3,500 complete holiday dinners to sick adults and children in the DC region. Each Thanksgiving delivery is designed to feed at least four people, giving clients a chance to host their loved ones. As part of the 3,500 meals, Food & Friends will also deliver turkeys and sides to 60 children and their families served by Health Services for Children with Special Needs Inc. (HSCSN). HSCSN provides innovative care to the pediatric Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and SSI-eligible populations of Washington, DC through a management network that coordinates health, social and education services for children and young adults living with disabilities and chronic illness. “Our clients, as well as the children and young adults served by HSCSN, have chronic and complex medical issues which make it very difficult for them and their caretakers to cook regular meals, never mind a full Thanksgiving dinner,” says Craig Shniderman, Executive Director of Food & Friends. “These children and families must deal with serious issues every day, but we can make Thanksgiving a much better holiday. Setting some extra places at the table is our Thanksgiving tradition.” Food & Friends depends on the support of the entire community to make Thanksgiving a reality for its clients and this year, Food & Friends is proud to recognize Walmart as the Presenting Sponsor of Thanksgiving festivities. Additional support is provided byKaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, Macy’s Foundation, General Motors, Honest Tea and Zipcar. “The reality is that even during the holidays, some of our neighbors are unable to celebrate in the most basic and necessary way – with a warm meal for their families,” said Alex Barron, Regional Manager at Walmart. “We at Walmart know that every parent, child and family deserves a nutritious meal and this Thanksgiving, we are proud to be part of Food & Friends’ long lasting commitment to deliver meals to local community members living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other diseases.” Food & Friends begins preparing well in advance of Thanksgiving Day. Throughout the entire month of November thousands of pounds of food are purchased and prepped for the holiday. With the help of volunteers, more than 9,800 pounds of turkey, 1,050 pounds of roasted potatoes and 780 pounds of green beans will be prepared. Thanksgiving at Food & Friends is made possible thanks to the generous support of Walmart, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States and Macy’s Foundation. In-kind support is provided by General Motors, Honest Tea and Zipcar.             ABOUT FOOD & FRIENDS Food & Friends is a Washington, DC, based nonprofit organization that provides home-delivered, specialized meals and life-sustaining nutrition to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses.  Food & Friends’ services are free-of-charge to recipients, who qualify solely based on their health status and nutritional needs.  Monday through Saturday, including holidays, staff and volunteers deliver to more than 5,300 square miles -- including the District of Columbia, seven counties in Maryland, and seven counties and six independent cities in Virginia.  For more information,please visit http://www.foodandfriends.orgor follow us on Twitter at @foodandfriends ABOUT WALMART Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices.  Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,300 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.