Giving Tuesday: Culinary Care delivers meals to cancer patients across Chicagoland

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One organization is working to help those going through cancer treatments by providing them with food.

Jennifer Maayteh is facing her third battle with breast cancer. This time, her chemo treatments came with an extra friendly face and some food.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

"We sometimes can't afford it, you know? So, it's, it's very valuable," Maayteh said.

Maayteh is one of hundreds of patients that have free meals delivered through Culinary Care. She says the relationships she has built with the volunteers have helped her healing process.

"I'm going through chemo right now," Maayteh said. "Today might be my last day."

"It can impact outcomes by as much as 25% just to have a sense, a perceived sense of community support," said Culinary Care CEO and Founder Courtney Johnson.

Johnson says this began when friends and family stepped up to bring meals to her father, who had lung cancer while she was in high school.

"My dad's favorite activity was going out to eat," Johnson said. "Every single day, we did not have to worry about food."

It inspired her to start going on her lunch break to deliver meals to other patients. Nearly 11 years later, it has taken a life of its own.

Culinary Care is on target to deliver 10,000 meals this year. They deliver Monday through Friday all year long, serving 900 patients across Chicagoland. They say the work is hard, but it is rewarding.

"A lot of the patients, sometimes, we're the only ones that they see outside of the nursing the medical field," said Jen Gerwing with Culinary Care.

Gerwing says the team works with four hospitals and nearly one dozen restaurants and dieticians so that patients get nutritional meals. Sometimes, treatment means patients are there for 12-hour days, and so they'll even bring a meal for their caregiver.

"Sometimes, we see patients, they're not having the best day, and then we walk in, it's like they light up," Gerwing said.

Every meal is a gesture of love and reminder to patients not to lose hope.

"I pray for others as well. You know, I don't want them to go through stuff, you know? I want them to realize, you know, there's a good, good place on the other side as well," Maayteh said.