Fighting Cancer with Food

Many of us have experienced what’s it’s like to watch a loved one battle cancer. Some feel helpless, everyone frustrated, many overwhelmed, being forced to confront so many different trials and tribulations along the way. It is an emotional and stressful journey for the patient, as well as their close friends and family. Seemingly mundane things like quality meals can feel like an enormous burden.

Culinary Care started in 2013 to deliver one less worry throughout this process.

Before she lost her father to lung cancer nearly 11 years ago, founder Courtney White and her family relied on neighbors and loved ones to provide home-cooked meals. Every single day and every single night. After looking for ways to give back to others experiencing the same thing, she discovered that many people did not have the means, wherewithal, or networks of willing friends to receive the same simple kindness that she did. Quality meals, hand-delivered to the hospital, most often free. That’s why, in 2013, Courtney started Culinary Care.

Culinary Care creates meal support programs that ensure cancer patients of all backgrounds, income and insurance statuses, and their families, never have to struggle to get the nourishment they need to survive. Over 125,000 cancer deaths each year are a direct consequence of malnutrition. Loss of appetite and chronic exhaustion are endemic side effects of the leading cancers and their treatments. Courtney envisions a world in which fewer cancer patients die from malnutrition and believes the solution lies in more community support, more awareness, and amazing restaurant partners.

Let’s help Culinary Care make mealtime stress-free. Let’s encourage cancer patients to have a more proactive relationship with quality food. Let’s get our culinary or cancer-affected families and friends involved. Every bouquet during the month of September will contribute to quality meals for cancer patients in need. Send flowers, share this with someone whose been affected, or donate a Treatment Day Meal directly at culinarycare.org.