Providing Meals Made Easy

In our Neighbor Program, we say, “You can’t fix everything, but you can fix dinner.” Sometimes, the world of foster care and adoption can feel overwhelming. Problems seem insurmountable. Yet, we can fix dinner. Families with additional kids in their homes have to come up with three meals a day, every single day. It can be an overwhelming task.

This is where you come in. What if you were able to prepare and deliver a meal to the same family on a regular basis? Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tricks I use when making and delivering a meal for another family that simplify the process for everyone:

Proper containers: What's important when it comes to the containers you use to deliver food? If you don’t want the family to worry about getting dishes back to you, use disposable containers. You can buy them in bulk at Costco, Sam’s Club, or individually at the Dollar Tree. Or transfer containers when you get there. I often bring soup in my stockpot and pour it into theirs before I leave. Or have a system where you pick up the previous month’s dishes when you drop off your next meal. The last thing I want to do is add more stress to the family by having them consider how to get containers back to me.

Have go-to recipes: There is a time-management term called “decide once”, you find something that works, and you stick with it. This might mean always bringing the same thing, or if that’s too mundane, one of three standard recipes. When you have your faithful standbys, you know the ingredients at the grocery store so you can always make them quickly if needed. If you prepare meals regularly for the same family, you might also find out what they like. When you find a winner, stick with it in the rotation.

It doesn’t have to be dinner: Though dinner is the most substantial meal for many families and therefore the most helpful to receive, it’s not always what’s needed most. I delivered an Easter brunch on Easter morning when I knew the parents in the home could not manage to pull that together. Consider the family you are serving, what are their needs? Maybe it is frozen egg bites that can provide breakfast for a week. Or snacks if someone is spending a lot of time at appointments. Perhaps it’s lunch after church or a gift card to a lunch OUT after church. Listen to the family’s pain points and decide what relieves the most stress for those you care for.

Provide a fun surprise: When there are kids in the house, I like to add a little surprise. This could be part of the meal, like a special drink, dessert, or seasonal napkins. It could also be something to entertain them while caregivers are cleaning up after the meal. I stock up at the Dollar Tree on things like stickers, crayons, or puzzles, so I can add a couple of things to the delivery that will delight the kids in the home. 

If you want to be matched with a foster or adoptive family to provide meals regularly, learn more about our Neighbor Program here or email Jackie Hall with questions at [email protected]. 

By Alex Kuykendall, Director of Community Engagement​