DAVIS Breaks Ground at Food & Friends Expansion

On Monday, July 13, Food & Friends broke ground on a 17,000-SF expansion of their headquarters in Northeast DC, marking the start of a project that will more than double the nonprofit's ability to prepare and deliver medically tailored meals across the region. The groundbreaking brought together Food & Friends staff, volunteers, clients, and city officials to celebrate a milestone more than three years in the making.

A History Worth Building On

For nearly four decades, Food & Friends has been a lifeline for DC area neighbors managing serious and chronic illnesses. What began as a small volunteer effort has grown into one of the region's most vital food distribution organizations, now preparing and delivering meals to people battling cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening conditions.

The organization's growth speaks to both their impact and the growing need for their services. Since 2018, Food & Friends has more than doubled their meal production, from just under 1 million meals a year to a record 2.2 million meals in 2025—a level of output that now stretches across the entire DMV region. That work has translated into positive, measurable health outcomes for the families and neighborhoods they serve.

What's Next?

Scheduled to be completed in 2027, the addition will provide Food & Friends with the space necessary to meet their growing demand. 

"The demand has been so high, and so we need more room. We're going to be able to more than double what we do."

-Carrie Stoltzfus, Food & Friends CEO 

Most of the new space will be dedicated to food production and storage, the two functions that drive everything the organization does. At the heart of the new building will be a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, providing volunteers with the space and equipment needed to continue their great work at a larger scale. The expansion will also add private nutrition counseling rooms, giving clients a dedicated space to meet one-on-one with dietitians as part of their care. Additionally, logistics concerns tied to such a major expansion are addressed in the plans, such as installing a separate loading dock entrance on the east side of the property for streamlined deliveries.

It was critical to us that meals continue to be delivered throughout the process, which is why we ensured existing operations will still be fully available throughout construction. Thanks to our Industrial team and their expertise in planning around facility constraints, food deliveries will still be available during construction with little to no disruption for both Food & Friends' staff and their clients.

We're excited to get started on this important addition to our community and deliver a facility that will serve Food & Friends' mission for decades to come.

Check out NBC Washington's story on the groundbreaking here: DC’s Food & Friends breaks ground to expand building – NBC4 Washington