Meet Sharon, Food Outreach Home-Delivery Client

Sharon received her first diagnosis of cervical cancer in September 2023. After ruling out surgical intervention, she received a treatment of chemotherapy and radiation. Struggling from the side effects of the treatment, Sharon’s social worker suggested she contact Food Outreach for nutrition support.

Her first home delivery arrived in January just when she needed it most—after months of battling nausea—Sharon was finally able to enjoy a meal again. Her favorite meals from Food Outreach are Salmon and the Chicken Crema, but she also enjoys the fresh and canned fruit. However, it is the thought put into the meals that Sharon appreciates this most. “The containers are the perfect size—with the use-by date and nutrition information on the lid. The attention to detail from Food Outreach has been amazing. You can just tell that it’s been put together by people who are actually passionate and care about what they’re doing. When I get the delivery box, I can feel the love that has gone into putting it all together.”

In February, after becoming a Food Outreach client, Sharon received her second diagnosis of cancer in less than six months. “The last radiation appointment was in February, and just after that they found thyroid cancer.  It came up on the PET scan and they did a biopsy. I had the operation in April and they removed the left thyroid.”

Food Outreach has also been a help to Sharon’s husband, Chase, as a caregiver. “I can say as a husband that what Food Outreach provided was not just food—it provided another level of ease for me because in the midst of all this, you feel helpless because you can’t really do much to help or offer your loved one relief. You’re going to the appointments and you’re there for emotional support and all that other stuff. But the tangible, the material, the physical, those delivery boxes are like their own individual little gifts, and it’s kind of a reprieve because you’re trying to figure out what she can eat, what she can keep down, and what she can tolerate. The variety of food made a huge difference.”

But for Sharon, it’s the people at Food Outreach that make the biggest impact. “I love that I get a call beforehand to ask if I’m free on a particular day and what time works for me. That really makes a difference. I can tell that Brandon, Andrew, and Luke are passionate about what they do because it shows in how they interact with me. Everyone is so respectful. I understand that many people might have mixed feelings when offered help, but it truly matters how you feel about yourself first and foremost. For me, the way they’ve expressed themselves throughout this process has been incredibly respectful, gentle, kind, and accommodating.”

Originally from Zimbabwe, Sharon was living in London when she and her husband Chase met through an online dating service. “I was about to cancel my subscription, and something just told me to cancel it the next day. The next day, I was online bidding on a pair of shoes, and Chase sent me a message. What I didn’t know at the time was that he almost canceled his subscription the same night.” They have been married for 10 years. And yes, Sharon won her bid on the shoes.

Sharon is now cancer free, but she is still processing the past year and everything she has gone through since she was first diagnosed with cancer. “I’m in the clear.  And I’m so excited to be working together with my body to live the life that I really desire. I do have to have checkups. But it’s only going to be good news because I’ve decided it’s only going to be good news. And I’ve been feeding my body with food provided by Food Outreach to meet that goal. Overall, the experience was amazing. It has exceeded whatever I imagined, and this is not just about the products themselves, but about the people and how they have managed everything. It has all been so wonderful. I truly appreciate it. Thank you.”