Santa Clara students use their passion for food to support families of patients receiving medical care at nearby hospitals

At birth, junior biochemistry major Nicholas Truong was diagnosed with Russell Silver Syndrome, an endocrine growth disorder characterized by a lack of appetite resulting in malnutrition. He recognized a need for compassionate care toward hospitalized patients and their families after experiencing the stresses of extended medical treatment firsthand.

Truong was often involved in the cooking process at home as his family worked to maintain his health. With his parents’ encouragement, he began to experiment with different ingredients and culinary techniques and developed a passion for cooking.

“When I was a kid, my parents tried to expose me to a bunch of different flavors and tastes and textures,” Truong said. “They tried to get around that innate aversion to food and lack of appetite. So I was actually able to completely circumvent that aversion to food.”

Truong’s relationship with food inspired him to create the meal service program Recipes for Relief, which hosted its first meal service on Feb. 18. The organization partners with the JW House and Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Hospital to provide patients and their families with brunch and lunch services once per month.

“We were planning this event for a while, but to actually see it come to fruition and to be able to actually hand over the food that we cooked to families was a pretty eye opening experience as well,” Troung said. “One of the first families that came in for the meal service over the weekend was actually the family of a pediatric cancer patient. We were happy to brighten their days.”

The process of creating Recipes for Relief began in late Dec. of 2022 when Truong began to work with a team of fellow STEM majors to realize his vision of using food to support families during medical crises. He funds the project with stipends received for his work as a TA in organic chemistry labs.

“The fellow cooks and I all had a passion for cooking, and we're all pretty good at it,” Truong said. “Some of us are also pre-med at Santa Clara and we were looking for more meaningful ways to either volunteer or give back to the medical community.”

The JW House is a low- to no-cost hospitality house for families of patients receiving medical care at nearby hospitals. The patrons are typically referred by social workers to ensure families can stay together during medical treatment.

“When I was a volunteer at JW House and Kaiser, I found out they had a full sized kitchen, but they didn't have a brunch or lunch program,” Truong said. “I wanted to cook meals for families that might be stressed while they're waiting for loved ones in the hospital. I know that when I was in the hospital or receiving medical treatment it was a particularly stressful time for my family.”

Troung and his team members will continue to host the events throughout their time at Santa Clara, and they are hoping the organization will continue to provide service long after that. They are looking to bring on more volunteer cooks, establish community partners, win grants and obtain sponsorships from local businesses with the hopes of setting the project up for ongoing success.

“In the future, I hope Recipes for Relief will become an integral part of Santa Clara’s community and last long past 2024 when me and the rest of the team graduate,” Troung said.