The story behind The Meal Connection

People talk about having true friends with whom you can laugh, cry, and share life experiences. Meet my friend Shelly, her husband Paul, and their daughter Zoë. My family and I have truly been blessed to have them in our lives, as they have taught us so much about friendship, caring, and sharing.

In 2001, Shelly was diagnosed with cancer. At that time I had no idea how our lives would intertwine throughout the following years. In 2002, I, like Shelly, was diagnosed with cancer. During what was an incredibly difficult time, Shelly and her family set an example for our family to live by. I am fortunate to have made it through treatments and, at this stage in my prognosis, hope to never again revisit that chapter of my life. However, Shelly and her family continue to travel the difficult road of cycles of treatment over and over again.

Not knowing how to ease the effects of her cancer and treatment, yet feeling the need to support their family, an idea was hatched to fill Shelly's freezer with home-cooked meals. A group of friends pulled together to accomplish our goal; some donated money and assembly time, while others shopped for ingredients and coordinated cooking days. Our group of friends could only show our love and support with what we could do, which was connect as a group of strong friends in the kitchen, laugh, talk and make great memories.

We had such a great time getting together on several different occasions to create meals for Shelly and her family. Our discussion turned practical when, in the midst of assembling the meals together, we imagined how nice it would be to have our own freezer filled with home-cooked meals without having to answer the "Well, what's for supper?" question. So, as you have read, what started from heartfelt intentions....began the meal connection. Thank you for taking the time to read Shelly's story. We look forward to sharing our connection with you so you too can experience the warmth and wonder that occurs when family, friends, and loved ones bring home-cooked meals back to the table and take time to laugh and reconnect.

Excited to be connecting with you,

-Jane