When people like Mary Ellen - pictured above - are facing a serious illness, the last thing they should have to worry about is where their next meal is coming from. Yet for thousands of people throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, high food prices and skyrocketing rent mean that people facing illnesses like cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes are finding it more and more difficult to access nutritious meals.
Food & Friends is the only organization in the Washington, D.C. area that provides medically tailored, home-delivered meals to people facing life-challenging illnesses. The need could not be more clear. The reality is, 65% of our clients live on under $1,500 per month. With limited resources, and after paying medical and living expenses, there is often little to nothing left for food.
Food & Friends supports over 5,000 neighbors living with serious illnesses every year, delivering over 138,000 medically tailored meals to neighbors living in D.C., Maryland and Virginia every month. We've served more than 30 million medically tailored meals to neighbors living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other serious illnesses since 1988.
Food & Friends saves lives:
"Food & Friends was, and still is, as important to me as the doctors. That tells you how big a difference they made. They never missed a date. You were still connected with people when you couldn't be, so it was a total physical and emotional support." – Mary Ellen, Food & Friends client
Our vision is a community where everyone who is seriously ill has the nourishment they need to manage their illness.
And that community is made up of caring people just like you. Can you raise your hand today to say that you stand with Food & Friends so we can keep our promise to all those who are depending on us in 2024: That we will be there for them, no matter what!
