Food is a universal symbol of comfort. It draws people together and comforts people when they’re in need. When someone is battling a serious illness or recovering from a surgery, it affects the entire family. The normalcy of everyday life gets thrown off kilter. With drives to doctors’ appointments, or the main cook in the house or a child being sick, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to do the basic things you need to do to keep your family running. The same is true when caring for an ill, elderly parent, as your time and efforts are refocused on taking care of them and you don’t have enough time to take care of your daily tasks in your own home.
Here are a few helpful tips when you are sending a meal to support a family:
Always find out if there are any specific food preferences or restrictions in the family.
Chicken is a natural go-to for most people, so you might want to think of an alternative, as chicken every night can get boring. When people are receiving a meal every day, they really appreciate variety.
Food represents comfort, so make the delivery personal. A handwritten note is a meaningful way of sending a personal message to the recipient.
Look for things that are either easy to heat up or can be served at room temperature and require little to no effort for them to enjoy.
When you send a meal to a family who has an ill family member, remember, convenience and simplicity is the name of the game.
Send the meal in disposable containers and include disposable plates, cutlery and cups.
Include a label or recipe card with heating instructions, if applicable. List the ingredients in case there are any allergies.
Include a handwritten invitation to your house for dinner in the coming weeks that they can use whenever they are ready.
If you are delivering the food yourself, don’t overstay your welcome. The family may not be up for a long visit so make it clear that you are just there to drop off the meal.
When you don’t have the time to prepare a meal yourself, don’t fret—the most important thing is making the effort! Order from a local restaurant and send it to them. Either have it delivered directly to their home or pick it up and bring it over. The most important thing is to provide the support. You can find local restaurants in Caring Organizer’s local directory at www.caringorganizer.com.
There’s even more you can do, and it’s so simple. Amplify your support by setting up a meal schedule to share what the family needs with your “village” of friends and neighbors in your community. It only takes a few minutes to set up and will be so appreciated. Often people just don’t know what to do to help someone and you will be able to help them help others. Visit www.caringorganizer.com to set up a Caring Organizer for someone ill or recovering from a surgery or a Shiva Organizer to organize the shiva meals.
By Elisa Udaskin
Elisa Udaskin is the founder and CEO of Caring Organizer, LLC. Their free website, www.caringorganizer.com, has online tools to organize shiva meals and meals for someone who is ill, along with helpful tips for showing support. Elisa can be reached at [email protected].
