Courtney Johnson Founder & CEO of Culinary Care on Serving Hope with Every Meal: Nourishing Cancer Patients Through Culinary Care

What if a single meal could nourish more than just a body—but also a soul?

In this powerful episode of the ChangeMakers Podcast, host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Courtney Johnson, the heart and visionary behind Culinary Care, a nonprofit delivering restaurant-prepared meals and emotional support to cancer patients and their families.

Courtney’s story begins with heartbreak: losing her father to stage IV lung cancer while still in high school. Fueled by grief and love, she launched Culinary Care in her early 20s with one goal—to help others facing what her family endured.

“We had meals at our doorstep almost every day during my dad’s treatment. Those were the bright moments we looked forward to.”

What started with one meal and one handwritten flyer has become a transformative movement across Chicago and Dallas. Courtney explains how malnutrition causes 1 in 5 cancer deaths, and how a perceived sense of community can increase cancer survival rates by up to 25%.

Listeners will learn about:

The emotional and logistical challenges of launching a nonprofit

How Culinary Care fills a vital gap in outpatient cancer care

The importance of providing dignity, joy, and delicious meals

How anyone—from monthly donors to companies—can help feed hope

“We want to be the friend that never goes away… Even if the treatments stop, our care doesn’t.”

Culinary Care’s work is a reminder that community is care—and that acts of kindness, no matter how small, have the power to change lives.

🎧 Listen to the full episode
🔗 Visit CulinaryCare.org to donate, volunteer, or get involved

The ChangeMakers Podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services.

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