Hunger to Help

A rare endocrine growth disorder kept Nicholas Truong ’24 from enjoying food as much as he wanted as a kid. To work through this, his mom brought him into the cooking process—from the aisles of the grocery store to the kitchen.  So, when Truong was looking to get involved with his community, it’s no surprise he found his way back to food. As a volunteer at Kaiser Medical Center in Santa Clara, he learned about JW House, where patients and their families can stay during treatments. He was inspired. “I know that for a lot of families, going through a medical crisis is a lot of stress,” Truong says. “It’s also a lot of stress trying to go out and find food and rush back to the hospital to be by their family’s side.” Truong recruited a group of Broncos to cook for families staying at the JW House. Last year, Recipes for Relief prepared more than 40 meals. “We’re meeting people in their most vulnerable moments,” Truong says. “Being in a medical crisis could be super isolating for their families and it’s just nice to show support through gestures, saying, ‘We’re here for you and we’re also thinking about you.’”