Food & Friends Minute: July 2015

July 30, 2015

URGENT: Group Volunteers Needed in August & September

To fulfill our mission, we rely on more than 10,000 volunteers each year. We are overwhelmed with support in the fall, spring and during the holidays.

But, in August and September, many of our regular volunteers and corporate groups are on vacation, summer youth groups are going back to school and our school groups are just getting settled into the year.

Nearly 50% of those who volunteer at Food & Friends come with a group. So, you can imagine that during this time, we are struggling to fill our needs in the kitchen and on the road.

WE NEED MORE THAN 200 GROUP VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS! CAN YOU HELP?

Group volunteers work together to get meals out the door, making it an enjoyable and terrific team-building activity for your company, civic or religious organization, or social group.

Here is a sample of the days and times we need help:

AUGUST

July 29, 2015

"The deliveries were a lifeline"

Cooking for the clients of Food & Friends is more than a job for me – it’s a joy. I have the chance to get to know some of the neighbors we serve – men and women living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. I’d like to share one of their stories with you.

https://www.kintera.org/site/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=ckLSI8NNIdJ2G&b=9151027&en=cvJNI3OLLbJWJdMOLaJTI9PYLvI0I8ORKmLYJaOTLdLXJhO2LzG

Meet Sasha. She’s a 29 year-old mom living with HIV. When she started receiving services, she was also pregnant.

Support from people like you help Sasha and her family thrive.

Here’s a letter Sasha sent to us:

I want you all to know how much this service has meant to me and my family. While I was pregnant, it was very difficult for me to go grocery shopping, especially considering that I do not drive.

The food that was provided helped me to eat well and feed my children. Due to financial difficulties which have been exacerbated by the cost of baby formula, diapers, and other baby necessities, the food deliveries were a needed lifeline.

We are so thankful for all that you have done for us and we know that you will continue to help others just as you have helped us. It is still a difficult time for us but we hope that someday we can offer our support in return.

Thank you all, and be blessed, Sasha

You can help families like Sasha’s across the Greater Washington, DC, area this summer. Support the Summer Food Fund with a much-needed donation today.

With gratitude,

Mark Locraft

Executive Chef

July 7, 2015

Tips to Staying Hydrated this Summer

As the weather continues to warm up and the sun shines brighter, drinking enough water is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle this summer.

Did you know over half of our body weight is made up of water?

Water is needed to control our body’s temperature, to protect our tissues, joints, and muscles, and to help with blood flow throughout the body. Drinking water contributes to good heart health and overall hydration. Each day, our body loses water through normal body excretions and replenishing this supply of water is critical.

Every person’s body is different so everyone requires different amounts of water to stay hydrated. On average, it is recommended to drink about 6 to 8 eight ounce cups of water per day.

When our bodies do not have enough water, this can be detrimental to our health. Key signs of dehydration include noticeable or extreme thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, decreased performance, nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness and trouble focusing. One important indicator of dehydration is the color of your urine. A dark yellow or orange color may indicate poor hydration. Ideally, if your urine is colorless or light yellow, you are drinking enough water. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends monitoring your urine as a better indicator of your hydration levels than your thirst.

Keeping yourself hydrated can be easy with these simple tips!

Carry a Water Bottle: Consider purchasing a reusable water bottle that you can refill from a water fountain or even your kitchen sink.

Keep Track: If you have trouble remembering to drink water, try drinking at specific times of the day. Having an 8-ounce cup of water at each meal can be a great way to stay hydrated.

Add Some Flavor: If you do not enjoy the taste of plain water, try adding a slice of lemon, lime, or even cucumber to your drink to add some natural flavor with minimal calories. Drinking water is more beneficial than sugar-sweetened beverages or sports drinks because they often have extra calories and artificial sugars.

Remember each person’s body is different and speak to your doctor or dietitian for how much water you should be consuming. Certain medical conditions include diabetes, heart disease, and even certain medications can also require one to drink even more water than recommended. Enjoy the warm weather as summer approaches, but remember to hydrate yourself throughout the day with these simple tips!

CONTRIBUTED BY: Dana Krimker, Client Services Representative

Dana is the primary liaison to all clients on service and answers our delivery hotline. Dana received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Health Care Ethics.

1. http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/water.html
2. http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/food-nutrition/nutrients/hydration-why-its-so-important.html
3. http://heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Staying-Hydrated---Staying-Healthy_UCM_441180_Article.jsp

From Executive Chef Mark Locraft: Support our Summer Food Fund

I’m usually found preparing nutritious food in Food & Friends’ kitchen. So if this blog post isn’t quite as appealing as our tangy chicken vegetable soup, well . . . I apologize but I had to take a moment to post because I really need your help.

As the Executive Chef at Food & Friends, I am responsible for the team of chefs, dietitians, and volunteers that plan, prepare and cook the nourishing meals we serve to our neighbors in need — breakfast, lunch and dinner, 52 weeks a year for 2,700 clients living with HIV/AIDS, cancer or other life-challenging illness.

As you can imagine, without unlimited resources, I have to plan meals carefully so I always stay within our budget. This isn’t an easy task. If you’ve shopped for groceries lately, you know how expensive they can be. And during the hottest summer months, I have an additional challenge because our level of financial support and food donations decline. But our clients depend on us regardless of the season. Their effort to stay healthy doesn’t take a vacation.

https://www.kintera.org/site/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=ckLSI8NNIdJ2G&b=9151027&en=8hJFLRPvH7IOK1OyH6JLKXOIJrJSKWMzGdLOKVMDIiJQK3POJvH&msource={W15ASFFF}

On behalf of the clients I need to feed this summer, I’m asking you to support our Summer Food Fund campaign and help ensure that I have the necessary financial resources to purchase the thousands of pounds of food for meals to be delivered to our clients over the next few months. Today we are only part of the way toward raising our Summer Food Fund goal of $75,000 to help sustain us throughout the tough, hot summer months. This is where you can help!

Your generous, tax-deductible gift will help us purchase, prepare and deliver the healthy meals and nutritional guidance that our clients rely on day-to-day during a very emotional and financially difficult time in their life. Perhaps even more importantly, each meal will be delivered along with a warm smile and words of encouragement from a friendly face. With your help, these meals will not only be healthy, but will also be satisfying. Being able to serve so many people who need my help is one of the reasons that I enjoy my job so much.

While financial support typically declines during the hottest months of the year, demand for Food & Friends’ services continues to increase. Could you tell someone who is hungry and is suffering from a serious illness that you can’t help them? I can’t. As much as I’m able to economize on food costs and utilize the time and energy of our dedicated volunteers, I can only stretch our food budget so far. Food & Friends needs your help to ensure we don’t have to face our growing demands without adequate financial resources.

Help us reach our Summer Food Fund goal of $75,000, you can make sure we will continue to be there for the men, women and children that depend on our services. With continued advancements in treatments for diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer, nutritious meals have become an even more important weapon in the fight for better health.

I am honored to be working with YOU to help deliver important nutrition to those in our community living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. Your caring support delivers the best and safest meals that we can provide and our clients so desperately need.

And thank you for being there when it counts the most.

Sincerely,