Delucchi Gives Back: Food + Friends Volunteer Day

As employees of Delucchi Plus, we’re lucky to have the opportunity to live our brand truth and give back to the community. Giving is a large part of our company culture, and it’s an amazing feeling to take time to deliver on our values, like we were able to do yesterday at D.C.-based nonprofit  Food & Friends.

Founded in 1988 by a small group of volunteers, Food & Friends fosters a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling. Food & Friends depends on thousands of volunteers to carry out its mission, and yesterday Delucchi Plus was lucky enough to serve in a variety of roles.

Some of us got hands-on experience packaging meals in the kitchen, while others had the opportunity to actually team up and deliver meals to clients in their home. Two years ago, when Delucchi Plus first had the honor to volunteer for Food & Friends, I worked in the kitchen packing and preparing food, but this year I was able to have the other experience and witness first-hand the impact that Foods & Friends makes every day. It was an exciting feeling to visit and interact with these clients and hopefully make a positive difference in their day.

With my intrepid coworkers Joe and Sally as my navigators, we delivered two weeks’ worth of meals to six different homes. Some people were very engaging and some were more reserved, but they were all very appreciative. We learned that in some cases, we may be the only person some of the clients talk to all day — so it was especially rewarding to make those personal interactions.

I am extremely grateful to work for a company that cares about making a difference and is passionate about giving back. Not to mention that attempting to navigate the streets of D.C. together is a great team bonding experience!