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In August 2021, Food For All partnered with Amazon Fresh through a program administered by the Capital Area Food Bank called Meal Connect. This partnership has become incredibly beneficial as it permits FFA to offer a broader range of food to our client participants. Every Thursday we pick up a truckload of meats, dairy items, bread and a selection of shelf stable food from Amazon Fresh Chevy Chase.

Our clients have noticed the new choices. Inez, for example, told us she had never eaten organic dairy before and was thrilled with the Greek yogurt. Thanks to these partnerships, we are able to share in the joys of discovering new favorites. Hearing from our community members like Inez makes us even more motivated to continue to grow partnerships like these.

Pet lovers (isn’t that all of us?) will appreciate that we even receive dog food periodically. We recently provided a gourmet brand to a client with a service dog. She reported that she had never seen such a contented look on the dog’s face! We love being able to be a part of people’s lives in this way, including their four-legged friends!

Since May, 2020, Food for All has partnered with Mount Pleasant Neighbors Helping Neighbors to provide food assistance to struggling residents in this tight-knit DC neighborhood. Begun as a response to the dramatic spike in need during the pandemic, we continue to feed up to 250 families every week, making it clear that this small, community-led effort has become a lifeline for many. A recent survey of beneficiaries showed that about half would not have another option for food assistance.

One site is managed by the Woodner Apartments Tenants Union, a volunteer effort that supports residents in that building as well as three others. The sustained demand for food at this and our other site at Sacred Heart Church suggests that these communities suffered from underlying food insecurity prior to the pandemic. FFA and NHN are committed to helping these neighbors as long as funding lasts.

Food For All: What volunteer work have you done for FFA?

Reza: Because of my knowledge of Spanish, I was asked to deliver food to the Latinx community. It was great getting to know people, most of whom lost their jobs because of the slowdown in the restaurant industry. The food we provided helped them get through this sudden challenge.

FFA: Why do you volunteer?

Reza: I am a spiritual person, which for me means creating connections with all life and expanding horizons. Food For All was a natural fit as it helped me become more aligned with people I did not know. If we have any hope of changing the world, we need to become familiar with each other. In a small way, therefore, Food For All has helped me contribute towards manifesting the world I want to see.

FFA: Have you faced any challenges?

Reza: It’s not always easy. There are times I’ve had to deal with ill-mannered people when driving along DC streets, when trying to park and when interacting with some clients. I am learning to meet people where they are and remain centered all the time.

FFA: Do you have any final thoughts?

Reza: Volunteering at FFA is enhanced by the camaraderie among the volunteers. It is so uplifting to interact with people motivated by their hearts.

Kathy Johnson, a Food For All recipient, is a cancer survivor who helps others get through the ordeal of chemotherapy. During her own chemotherapy Kathy felt trapped. She was losing herself. She knew the only way forward was to fight.

Her fight took different forms. Art provided a great refuge. Kathy was an art instructor at the YMCA many years ago, but stopped painting after getting a government job. During chemotherapy her son bought her some paints and she dived back in. Art was a panacea for the pain.

Another survival strategy was diet. Long before she was diagnosed with cancer, Kathy started eating healthier food, including a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. That kept her weight down and her body strong, increasing her resilience to the cancer ordeal. She also stopped eating after 5 pm as a weight control measure.
Based on her own experience, Kathy has developed a straightforward philosophy of life: learn from tragedy, heal yourself well, and then help others.

Jaime came to DC in 1993 to further his career as a make-up artist. He fell in love with the city due to its diversity, its energy and its many events. The pandemic was devastating for Jaime’s work as social distancing and make-up artistry don’t mix well! Jaime connected with Food For All in July 2020.

Food For All: What was the initial response from FFA?

Jaime: Welcoming! I was at a challenging part of my life. I had no income. I could not go out. Food For All came into my life when I needed their help the most.

Food For All: What was the service from FFA like?

Jaime: After the first food delivery I said to myself, “Jaime, we are cooking tonight!” I did not expect to receive such healthy food, especially all the fresh produce. With that first delivery I felt like a kid opening a Christmas present.

I appreciate how you give me food choices depending on what you have in your pantry at a given time. I had a humble beginning in Texas, with both parents working on farms. We never wasted food, and that principle stays with me. When FFA only delivers food that I like and need, then nothing will go to waste.

Food For All: Now that you are getting back to work again, what will be a takeaway from FFA?

Jaime: Food For All has reminded me what a healthy diet looks like, a diet that is nutritious and tasty. I have rekindled my love for fresh corn, for example. Corn baked with olive oil and salt is divine!

Food For All: Would you like to share any other life principles?

Jaime: Sure! The principle of “Every little bit helps!” A little extra food can provide comfort. A little extra kindness can make someone’s day. The little details are important. Just saying “good morning,” to someone, for example, can change their mood.

Ann Ingram comes to Food For All every Thursday to pick up food for Feed The Family, one of our community partners. She is a mere 89 years young, and still engages dynamically in the community. I asked her where the motivation comes from, and she joked, “When your daughter asks you to do something, you do it!”

Ann clarified that she has volunteered her entire life and was even a volunteer coordinator professionally. “I don’t know anyone who has never volunteered,” Ann mused. Ann has a broad definition of volunteering that encompasses all acts of kindness. One day a kind man helped Ann after she fell over in the street. “That is volunteering,” Ann declared. I asked Ann what she would say to someone contemplating volunteering, and she replied, “Try it! I think you will like it.”