Successful Holiday Toy Drive - More than 600 Gifts Delivered!

Once again the community came together to assist us in our annual holiday toy drive for our young clients and the children of clients. For the families we serve, many of whom are battling illness accompanied by financial pressure, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time of year.

Macy's staff dropping off dozens of toys to be
delivered to Food & Friends' young clients.

Our goal this year was to make sure that the 254 young people we serve received a special holiday present. Dozens of organizations and individuals helped us to not only reach this goal but exceed it! We wrapped and delivered more than 640 donated toys and coats, making the holiday especially memorable for clients.

A special thank you goes out to our corporate partners, Macy’s and Inter-American Development Bank, and referral partners, Whitman-Walker Health, Kaiser Permanente and Hospice of the Chesapeake, for their donations. We received car-load after car-load from these partners and we can’t thank them enough.

The words of one very excited mother on service express the impact of this special delivery:

“Thank you so much for the gifts you gave us – you all made our Christmas. It was fantastic! I wish I could have videotaped the way my kids were reacting – it was beautiful. My son was still hopping around when we were going to church. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Until you get in a place like this, you have no idea how valuable a service like Food & Friends is. I don’t know what I would do without you all. I know everyone says it, but I really do love you all.”

Thank you to everyone who donated to the holiday toy drive. Many of you have been doing so for years and we are grateful for the continued support. Happy New Year!

It Takes a Village: Strong Partnerships Offer Clients the Best Care

Navigating the healthcare system can be terrifying and stressful if you are seriously ill. Heather Alt, Supervisor of Medical Adherence Nurse Care Managers at Whitman-Walker Health, witnesses this every day. Heather works with patients to determine their barriers to complying with medical orders and then provides them with in-house services or refers them to organizations like Food & Friends.

Whitman-Walker Health is a community partner
that frequently refers clients to Food & Friends
Photo Courtesy: Scott Henrichsen/Whitman-Walker Health

“I’m passionate about making the process easier and making people feel more comfortable when they are already going through a stressful situation,” says Heather. “Our partnership with Food & Friends has been especially strong and truly embodies our goals of helping people feel empowered, supported and advocated for.”

Because our services are based on health-status and nutritional need, clients must be referred to Food & Friends by an area partner. More than 100 medical institutions, social service agencies, hospices, shelters and case managers make up our community of support.

Referring more than 60 patients each year, Whitman-Walker Health is a key partner in our efforts to care for our clients, ease their burden of living with a life-challenging illness and ensure they are receiving well-rounded care. Heather has been proudly referring people to Food & Friends for five years.

“There is so much more to a person than an illness. It does not define them,” says Heather. “Food & Friends treats people for who they are and makes their situation a little bit easier. This is a powerful gift.” 

Our partnership does not end once referral agencies fill out the paper­work. This collaborative network is essential to each client’s overall well-being and expands their circle of support. Through home deliveries, our staff and volunteers are frequent observers into our clients’ lives. We are the eyes and the ears for our partners, keeping them informed of the ongoing status of their client’s health and living situation.

“Many times it is difficult for us to reach a client,” says Heather. “Since Food & Friends has frequent contact with our clients, they are able to keep communication lines open and inform us on the status of the client.”

Together, Food & Friends, Whitman-Walker Health and our other partners provide a strong support network that works to meet the individual needs of each client and their families.

“I am so happy that Whitman-Walker Health and Food & Friends have this formal partnership – our community is better for it."