Making an Impact: One Volunteer Goes Above and Beyond to Care for a Client

By Craig Shniderman, Executive Director, Food & Friends

This past weekend while I was checking my email, I found an unusual and particularly heartwarming message. Our Client Services Manager reported on an out of the ordinary encounter between a client and volunteer delivery person. One of our clients, a 91 years old woman in hospice care, received her regular Saturday delivery from Daniel, a regular volunteer. What was unusual about this delivery was that Daniel found the client in distress and took it upon himself to ensure her well-being. He contacted the client’s family member and the hospice provider, as well as Food & Friends staff, to alert them of the situation. Working together, our teams made sure to quickly get the appropriate care to the client.

I found this quite remarkable because our volunteers’ responsibility is limited to simply delivering the food. But like many others here, Daniel has developed a personal relationship with several of the clients to whom he delivers. After Daniel completed the rest of his delivery route on Saturday, he went back to the client’s house to make sure she was receiving the help she needed. She lives in the District, so this was not particularly convenient for Daniel, who lives in Arlington.  His attachment to this client and his sense of responsibility compelled him to go this extra step.

I called Daniel on Saturday after I heard this story from Rachel and had a wonderful conversation with him. I learned that Daniel and his wife Elisa became volunteers at Food & Friends 22 years ago and have remained interested in the organization ever since. They lived away from the Washington area for a while, but when they returned, Daniel told me that one of the first things they did was to reestablish a volunteer relationship with Food & Friends. 

When people ask what about Food & Friends is different than other food delivery programs, we generally talk about the specialty diets and nutritional counseling that we provide to all of our clients. But one of the things that really sets us apart beyond this is the degree of engagement by many of our volunteers. 

We recently surveyed our volunteers, and one of the striking revelations is the extent to which our volunteers are invested in our clients and wanted to grow those relationships. Many expressed a desire to interact more with clients, or simply know more about how the clients are faring. One way we have responded to these requests is to introduce a pilot volunteer delivery program called “Delivery Jumpers.” These volunteers will accompany our staff drivers on their delivery routes and assist with bringing the meals door to door. It will be a great opportunity for volunteers who are looking to interact with clients, but may not be able or comfortable with delivering on their own. It will also a boon for our drivers who will benefit from the extra help. 

The value of the Food & Friends experience comes not just from the food, but from the impactful relationships that so often develop between the volunteer and client. This commitment to excellence is something that we often talk about in terms of staff responsibilities and interactions with clients, but we also see this exemplary compassion in volunteers like Daniel and Elisa.

Living with HIV/AIDS: 30 Thanksgivings Later, Anthony Has Much to Be Grateful For

This month, Anthony Seymore celebrates his 30th Thanksgiving since being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given six months to live. He credits Food & Friends’ home-delivered meals with helping him get to this day.

“I need to eat certain foods to stay alive,” he says. “I contacted other organizations, but there were waiting lists and red tape. At Food & Friends, I know what I’m getting and know that it’s good for me – and that gives me peace of mind.”

From his home in Arlington, Virginia, Anthony reflects on that moment three decades ago when a physician delivered the news to the then 25-year-old. “In those days, an HIV/AIDS diagnosis was considered a death sentence,” he says. His family doctor wasn’t helpful. “He told me to go home and pray,” Anthony recalls.

Six months and a day after he got the news, his mother called him. “You’re still alive,” she said.” You’re going to be alright.” With encouragement from his parents, he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in business administration before moving from Richmond to the Washington area. In the District, he worked for 10 years at the U.S Department of the Interior before taking on a series of jobs with national retailers.

The past 30 years have included a number of health challenges, including diabetes, pneumocystis pneumonia (an infection common in people with weakened immune systems) and a ruptured heart valve.

Yet, throughout the years, Food & Friends has been there with home-delivered meals when he needed them. He marvels at how the meals have changed over the years, just as our understanding of nutrition has evolved. In the early days of the disease “the focus was on putting muscle and fat on you, so you wouldn’t waste away,” he says. Originally referred to Food & Friends in the late 1980s by the staff of Whitman-Walker, Anthony recalls deliveries of cheeseburgers, club sandwiches, and fruit juice.

Today, clients are referred to Food & Friends by their physicians for customized meals – designed by registered dietitians and professional chefs – that are both nutritionally balanced and tasty. In Anthony’s case, the meals are heart-healthy and created to address his diabetes. He is especially fond of the chicken with green beans and seafood platter.

Then there’s Thanksgiving dinner – Anthony’s favorite meal going back to his childhood. The Food & Friends delivery brings back fond memories of holidays spent at his grandmother’s – with its roast turkey, collard greens, sweet potatoes and apple pie. The only thing missing, he confesses, is the chitlins. (His doctor has given him permission to add them to the table. But only once a year!)

Not Once, But Twice: You Delivered Specialized Meals to Mary When She Needed Them Most

For Mary Dews, our tailored meal plans have been a life-saver – not just once, but twice.

Mary received freshly-prepared meals for two years during her battle with breast cancer. While undergoing treatment, she suffered permanent radiation burns which made it difficult for her to lift her arms. Physically unable to go grocery shopping and prepare her own meals, regular food deliveries gave Mary the energy she needed to manage her illness.

Our freshly-prepared meals helped Mary battle
breast cancer and recover from heart surgery.

“Through all of this, [Food & Friends] made me feel good, I didn’t have to worry about my food supply,” says Mary. “I would have had to do more shopping and my aide would have had to do more cooking.”

Fortunately, Mary won the battle with breast cancer and was able to discontinue services. Things were looking up for Mary-until she found out that she suffered from aortic stenosis and had to undergo heart surgery. Now she needed Food & Friends’ services for a second time and more than ever.

Not only was Mary too weak to prepare meals but her circumstances required unique nutritional attention. Mary worked with one of our registered dietitians and it was determined that a diabetic meal plan would be better for her than the regular meal plan she was on during her bout with breast cancer.

“Our diabetic meal plan provides more fruits and non-starchy vegetables, and this increased dietary fiber helps to reduce serum cholesterol levels. We also provide fresh fruit and reduced sugar items for desserts,” says Brandy Love, Registered Dietitian. “Mary’s ability to have a diabetic meal plan is great because when blood sugar levels are not under control, people are more at risk for heart disease and stroke.”

This change in Mary’s diet still provides flavorful meals and her two favorite menu items: seafood salad and baked chicken. She also doesn’t have to completely give up her love of desserts – they’re just a little different than before.

Specialized meal plans are the cornerstone of our service because strong nutrition aids in disease management and improves the quality of life of our clients. The dedicated support of thousands of donors makes it possible for us to spend the time and funds needed to tailor 11 different plans to meet the needs of each client. Thankfully, our diabetic and heart-healthy meal plans are made possible by the Walmart Foundation, who recently donated $100,000 to provide 184,405 diabetic and low-fat meals to more than 400 clients this year.

“Our goal is to provide meals based on sound nutrition recommendations, tailored to meet the specific needs of clients as best as possible,” says Brandy. “We make it very easy for clients to switch between the eleven meal plans, which can also be combined to provide the greatest flexibility.”

To ensure that her meal plan is meeting her nutritional goals, Mary frequently speaks with one of our dietitians.

“I thank God for the privilege to be a part of Food & Friends. They are helping so many people who are homebound, sick and disabled,” says Mary. “It makes you feel good that people care about your health and maintenance.”