Thank You Bank of America!

Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded $25,000 to Food & Friends to address the urgent hunger and nutritional needs of those in the community living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. The grant will support our Freshly-Prepared Meals and Groceries-to-Go Programs that home-deliver specialized and nutritious meals to the critically ill in the DC Metro Region. Bank of America’s contribution provided over 3,500 meals to our clients today, March 26th. Additionally, Bank of American employees volunteered on this day to help prepare and package the meals.

As a funder with a vision to support the local community, the impact of funding from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support those living with critical illnesses cannot be overstated. More than 80 percent of Food & Friends’ clients live at or below the poverty line; for them, the meals Food & Friends provides not only offer vital nutrition but also financial relief from the many costly burdens of living with serious illness.

“Food & Friends works tirelessly to help alleviate hunger for those who need it most throughout our community,” said Jeff Wood, Greater Washington market president, Bank of America. “With health and nutrition intricately linked, this support will enable Food & Friends to provide vital access to quality food for those living with HIV/AIDs, and we hope it will be one step further on the road to health.”

“For people living with critical illnesses, our high-quality, specialized and home-delivered meals are a low-cost intervention that assures better health outcomes, independence and an improved quality of life for those we serve,” says Food & Friends Executive Director Craig Shniderman. “It is because of the efforts of Bank of America’s Charitable Foundation that we are able to make such a difference in the lives of so many local residents in need of proper nutrition.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha - Xi Omega Chapter's Timeless Service to Food & Friends

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1998, seven members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Xi Omega Chapter, joined Food & Friends’ volunteer corps. For 17 years, this chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has remained committed to the Food & Friends’ volunteer program and increased its volunteer numbers and hours.

Notably, in January 2015, Xi Omega logged its 1,200th volunteer hour at Food & Friends. This milestone achievement establishes the sorority as a great example for any civic organization committed to making a difference in the local community. 

“The partnership started 17 years ago as an extension of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s international focus on strengthening the family and health promotion,” says Dr. Lavdena Orr, the president of Xi Omega Chapter and sorority member for over 25 years. “We work to help those citizens in our community who are disadvantaged because of their health. Every year, more and more [Xi Omega] volunteers want to help.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha is the nation’s oldest Greek-letter sorority founded by college-educated, African-American women. Xi Omega, which was chartered in 1923, is the oldest Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc -graduate chapter in Washington, DC. Xi Omega volunteers at Food & Friends every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in support of “a day on and not a day off” initiative.

“Our main drive for giving back every year is to make sure we are helping our community,” says Dr. Orr. “Food & Friends has the resources to help people with health challenges and we have the hands.”

Vivian Smith, an Alpha Kappa Alpha member for over 50 years and former president of Xi Omega, was part of the first group of women who volunteered in 1998. The feeling she gets when serving the community is what keeps her coming back. “Volunteering is a good feeling,” says Vivian. “For me, it’s a feeling of knowing that someone out there is going to benefit from something I’ve been able to do.”

Xi Omega’s community service not only results in the preparation and delivery of nutritious meals, but a better understanding of how the community can support the critically ill.

“We have seen positive changes in Food & Friends over the years,” says Cora Dixon, member of the sorority for over 40 years and Food & Friends volunteer since 1998. “Our experience there has caused other [Alpha Kappa Alpha] members to want to come. It seems like they have developed an appetite to come and make a difference in the lives of those who are seriously ill.”

For April Gaines-Jernigan, an AKA member for 33 years, volunteering fulfills a vow she made when she first joined the organization. “When I leave, I feel like I have contributed to the community and that we have made an impact and a statement that we are fulfilling our [sorority] pledge of serving all mankind. I enjoy it and wish that we could come more often!”

Thank you Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Xi Omega Chapter for being such a great partner. Your commitment to Food & Friends’ mission is a shining example of a partnership that results in positive outcomes for the community.

How We Plan Our Specialized Menu

We've all been there. You're hosting a dinner party for your friends and each of them has different food preferences and possibly even food allergies or intolerances. Now, imagine developing a 6-week menu for hundreds of people. To even the most experienced chef, this scenario is quite the challenge.

Planning our 6-week menu of specialized nutritious meals is a complex, multifaceted task for our team of chefs and registered dietitians. The primary goal of this process is to develop meals that appeal to our clients while supporting their overall health and immune function. Check out our infographic below which explains how our team of chefs and dietitians develop meals that are relevant and vital to those we serve.