Nourishing Communities: Deandra Miller Fajardo on Collaborative Meal Programs and Community Impact

Deandra Miller Fajardo, Vice President of Administration at Chef for Hire shares how their team partners with organizations like CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions to bring meals and connection to older adults across Central Indiana. From home-delivered meals to community dining sites, this collaboration brings more than just food—it builds relationships and supports well-being.

Interviewer:
You shared with us a little bit about the Indy Parks program, the school lunches, and after-meal programs. I know that you also work with CICOA. Can you tell us just a little bit about that program, who it serves, and how it works?

Deandra Miller Fajardo:
Yes! CICOA has a Meals & More program. We deliver their home-delivered meals for them—it's our food, but it goes through CICOA. They also run congregate sites, where clients can come enjoy a hot meal on-site, talk to each other, play games, and get that much-needed interaction.

That interaction is so important for mental health, and we’re proud to support that by providing the meals. It’s CICOA’s program, but it’s our meals that make it possible.

Interviewer:
That’s amazing.