From Volunteer to Chef: Marta's Mission With Food & Friends

For more than two decades, Marta Mirecki has been a champion for Food & Friends. She started by volunteering once a month to deliver food in the Alexandria area. After she completed cooking school, she was hired as a staff chef.

No matter her involvement, Food & Friends and its mission have never been far from Marta's mind.

"What I've always liked about Food & Friends is they fill a very fundamental need," she says. "It gives sick people food."

Marta remembers one specific instance in which the organization's work proved critical for the community. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, several displaced residents came to the metro area and Food & Friends was called upon for assistance.

"We pivoted; we were a resource for the citizens and the area," she says. "It's fantastic."

While Marta no longer works for the organization, she and her husband, Mark, have been yearly donors since 1999.

After Marta and Mark became parents, they started looking into making arrangements for their will. During the process, there was a section that asked what organizations the couple would like to support in the future. Food & Friends was a natural choice.

"I hope it keeps them going," she says of the future gift. "I think, hopefully, by the time my gift makes it to Food & Friends, it will help them thrive and grow. It's worth it, and so is the organization."

You Can Build a Healthier Community

Join us by helping serve community members living with serious illnesses. Simply follow Marta's lead and include a gift to Food & Friends in your will or other estate plan. Contact Marilyn Turner, CFRE at (202) 269-6849 or mturner@foodandfriends.org for details.