
Erika Young's diagnosis of cancer in October 2013 marked the beginning of her fight for life. But she had Cuisine for Healing in her corner, and on May 7 she'll walk the runway as one of the models at the sixth annual Survivors in Style fundraiser for the organization.
Cuisine for Healing, formed by Wendy Wilkie in 2006 as she struggled with what was ultimately fatal cancer, emphasizes the impact of healthy food on serious illnesses and seeks to make meals available to people fighting a life threatening disease. Meals are free to qualifying clients and reasonably priced for others.
Young is self-employed in the medical device field and was unable to work during her illness. She and her husband have two young children. Being accepted for the food outreach program was a big deal.
"They were awesome," Young said. "It's expensive to try to eat healthy, and their food was healthy, it tasted good, it was easy. I was sick. I was in and out of the hospital, and I didn't have to worry about food. They brought it to me."
From the two meals delivered at the start of the program, deliveries have grown to more than 8,000 a year, delivered by volunteers who drive more than 20,000 miles annually to do it.
"Our chef and kitchen staff are diligent in their efforts to keep the cost of our meals very low, so when two retail meals are purchased, it can provide one meal for someone in our Outreach Food Program," said President Sue Austin. "So not only are you eating a healthy, delicious meal, but you are providing for someone else in need."
The organization also offers monthly cooking demonstration classes so people can learn how to prepare tasty and healthy meals on their own. That was something that Young learned in the process. "It taught me what is healthy and what is not," she said.
When you are fighting cancer, there's not much time for anything else, even little tasks most people take for granted such as grocery shopping. Besides, many cancer patients just don't have the energy. "Everything is an obstacle when you are sick and fighting cancer," Young said. "I wasn't cooking. It was difficult for me a lot of times to go to the grocery store because I was really sick from the chemo."
Austin says she is very excited about the organization's new pickup location at the main offices at Texas Oncology at 1450 8th Ave. "Volunteers pick up the Cuisine for Healing meal bags for delivery to our clients in Tarrant County, or the clients can pick up their meal orders if it is more convenient," she said.
Cuisine for Healing has launched an online shopping cart and developed a mobile app for clients to make it easier to order food. (To see what's available through the online operation, go here: cuisineforhealing.org/buy-food.) Austin notes that friends, family, co-workers or Sunday school classes can buy a gift certificate for someone who is ill.