Hundreds of Washingtonians gathered at the Marriott Marquis on Monday, June 8, for Food & Friends’ 33rd anniversary Chef’s Best celebration. The event highlighted the DMV’s restaurant scene and emphasized the importance of giving back to the community.

Providing Nutritious Meals

Since its founding in 1988, Food & Friends has provided nutritious meals to people in the Washington metropolitan area battling chronic illnesses. According to Carrie Stoltzfus, executive director of Food & Friends, the organization’s goal is not just about meals, but about providing reassurance and guidance to those in need.

Guests at the event sampled dishes and cocktails from 30 local businesses, including Pisco y Nazca and Moxy Hotel’s Lucha Rosa Rooftop Bar. Dafne Guizada, one of the food and beverage managers at Moxy Hotel, said the event was perfect for networking while also providing positive spirits.

A New Capital Campaign

Food & Friends announced a new capital campaign called ‘Nourish Together: Building A Healthy Community,’ with a goal of raising $30 million. The organization has already raised over $23 million towards this goal, which will be used to open a newly renovated facility to strengthen operations, increase meal productions and storage capacity, and provide room for more volunteers.

Nathan Dupree, receiver and shipping coordinator at Food & Friends, explained that the organization needs all the resources it can get to provide over 2 million free meals to people with chronic illnesses. The new facility will help the organization to grow and help more people in need.

Original reporting: The Washington Informer — read the source article.