Impact Stories
Warm Meals Feed Hearts and Stomachs
abril 10, 2025
Supporting grieving families with nourishment and routine.
Serving warm meals before each Pathfinders group at Judi’s House is one way the organization helps children and families grieving a death find connection and healing.
“When families start their program, they are unsure of what to expect and the dining area is very quiet during dinner,” said CEO Micki Burns. “By session five, there is laughter, conversation, and kids playing everywhere. They build a community of understanding.”
It is because of donors like you that the families who come to Judi’s House make these connections that help them know they are not alone in their grief. Beyond that, providing dinner removes one hassle for families who might be short on time before group starts at 6 p.m.
“The meals fuel family members’ bodies so they can focus their group time on nourishing their hearts,” Micki said.
To that end, each meal is prepared with love by our in-house Chef Panya Heard who joined Judi’s House at the end of 2024.
“I always want to contribute back to society with my skillset and am so full of gratitude that I get to feed these families as a way to help them heal,” Panya said. “I lost my father when I was 12 and I so wish that something like Judi’s House existed for me.”
Being a chef is a second career for Panya. In addition to creating delicious, nourishing meals at Judi’s House four nights a week, she owns and operates PZH Catering & Company. She says, “the universe was telling me since I was a child that I should be a chef, but I just wasn’t listening.”
In her former career with AT&T, Panya managed office potlucks and always made sure they were special by picking themes and focusing on the details. One day, she brought egg rolls to an Asian-themed potluck and that changed her life.
“The reaction was so strong,” Panya said. “My coworkers were almost mad at me saying ‘why haven’t you brought these in sooner?’”
Panya started selling her egg rolls and it nearly became an additional full-time job because of the demand. Then, after 20 years in the corporate job, she knew it was time to go to culinary school. She chose Johnson & Wales University as it counts among its alumni Emeril Lagasse. “So, I knew it was the real deal,” she said.
Finishing culinary school shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic threw Panya numerous challenges, but she took them as opportunities to improve her skills.
And it shows.
Caregivers often tell Panya “That was the best meal I ever had.” They are also sharing what the nourishment means to them on the feedback forms they complete at the end of their Pathfinders program.
One person said, “The dinners were excellent and a great way for us to get some time together as a family before the groups.” Another wrote:
“I appreciate dinner time; it gives us a chance to connect intentionally with my daughter. It also gets us in the right head space.”
But perhaps the greatest compliment Panya gets is that the kids finish their plates – something anyone who has experience feeding children knows is quite a feat!