Comprehensive Support
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
- Hippocrates
Education is a cornerstone of our work and an essential expression of our belief that food is medicine. Through hands-on learning in the Giving Garden and Healing Kitchen, our adult and teen volunteers are equipped to lead with empathy, a passion for service, and teamwork.
At the same time, we provide comprehensive support to families navigating cancer by pairing every meal delivery with nutrition education, including weekly food cards that explain the health benefits of key ingredients used in that week’s meals. Our educational reach extends through strong partnerships with cancer care providers, nurse navigators, dietetic programs, schools, and community organizations, allowing us to offer cooking demonstrations, classes, internships, and outreach opportunities across Middle Tennessee. By engaging clients, caregivers, and hundreds of teen and adult volunteers each year, we deepen understanding, build community, and ensure that nourishment, knowledge, and care go hand in hand.
Meals for Health and Healing Food Cards
Follow us on social media for ongoing nutrition education materials! If you have any questions regarding nutrition, please email our nutrition educator at nutrition@hfmeals.org
Education Partnerships
The Heimerdinger Foundation partners with many of the cancer care providers in the Middle Tennessee area including St. Thomas Cancer Care, Sarah Cannon, Tennessee Oncology, and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. We do this through classes, cooking demonstrations, and outreach opportunities. We have built relationships with Nurse Navigators in each of the major cancer care centers in the area. Nurse Navigators are a first-line referral source for cancer patients to our program and we value our relationship with them. We also have worked with cancer support resources like Gilda’s Club as well as local nutritionists.
We have a robust dietician internship program through Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University in which interns learn about our program, help prepare meals and conduct special projects as needed. We are building relationships and collaborations with Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical Center. We also have relationships with local public and private high schools and home-schooled groups for recruitment for the Teen Program.
We work with community nonprofits such as Hands on Nashville and The Woman’s Club of Nashville for volunteers, and the Center for Nonprofit Management to utilize their classes and consultants.
