Comfort Food

November 17, 2:33 PMIndianapolis Human Interests ExaminerLynette Bishop Snell

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Auggie Hipskind 
(Photo courtesy of Dena Hipskind)

French Country Chicken.  Zesty Orange Salmon.  Pulled Pork with Red Beans and Rice.  Greek Style Turkey Burgers.  Mexican Lasagne.  Is your mouth watering yet?  It should.  These are just a few examples of the foods you might find on any given night at the Ronald McDonald House in Indianapolis, or in Unit 2A at Riley Children's Hospital.

The meals come from a local organization called Comfort Food which prepares, packages and then delivers these meals for use by families who are in the midst of a medical crisis and are enduring their loved ones' long-term hospitalizations.

The idea for Comfort Food was born in Unit 2A at Riley.  Dena Hipskind, the President and Founder of the organization, and her husband Jason found themselves in the midst of their own medical trauma in March 2006, when their very active 16-month old son, Auggie, experienced a degenerative neurological episode and subsequently lost all speech, motor and cognitive abilities.  In a matter of days he went from being a healthy toddler to the developmental equivalent of a 4-month old.  Eventually, Auggie was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer called Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome, or OMS.

During the weeks following diagnosis, Dena & Jason spent countless hours at their son's bedside, grabbing whatever food they could quickly get their hands on.  Sometimes it came from the hospital cafeteria.  Other times it was a boxed meal grabbed out of the kitchenette in Unit 2A at Riley.  Mostly, their diet consisted of quick, easy, yet unhealthy meal options.  It all changed when another family, also with a child in Unit 2A, brought in a casserole given to them by a neighbor and shared  the food with everyone.  The mood changed instantly. 

In an atmosphere laden with daunting prognoses, exhaustion and, at times, pure fear, the warm, comforting food from home brought a ray of hope into an otherwise dreary, frightening existence.  That meal was the first of many, setting a trend with other families bringing in meals that had been delivered to their doors and sharing them with everyone, including the staff.  And suddenly, a lightbulb went on in Dena's mind.  Why not do this all the time?  

In December 2006, Dena's idea became reality, when she formed Comfort Food, a registered 501c3 organization.  Her idea?  Use local kitchen preparation franchises to create hundreds of meals at once and then deliver those packaged meals to Riley and Ronald McDonald House.  At first, each "prep event," as she calls it, was funded by private donors wanting to make a difference.  Their donation provided meals to feed 360 people.  Each month the event has grown until there now is a waiting list to participate in a prep event.  

Since that initial event, Comfort Food has delivered more than 6,000 meals and has expanded their operations to include partnerships with The Wellness Community of Central Indiana, The American Cancer Society, and the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute.  Comfort Food also works with Jill's House in Bloomington. 

On September 27, 2008, Comfort Food hosted its first annual Fundraiser and raised enough funds to begin expanding beyond just Indianapolis and Bloomington.  Dena continually works to develop new partnerships with area hospitals and other healthcare organizations, and she is also brainstorming ways to offer completely organic meals, using ingredients from local farms and orchards.  

Dena's long-term goal is to one day have her own meal preparation facility where she will have greater control over the prep events, the quality of ingredients and the ability to fully realize her dream:  to open chapters around the nation and bring a bit of comfort food to anyone in a time of need. 

Auggie still struggles with relapses and must have continual treatments to help his immune system strengthen.  His prognosis is good--better than many.  But the need for a home-cooked meal remains as constant as ever, not only for the Hipskinds but for the countless other families they have encountered since that first terrifying moment at the hospital all those months ago.

While Auggie continues to strengthen, so does Dena's resolve.  To find out how you can help, check out the information box below and contact Dena today.