Alumnus’ national nonprofit praised on floor of U.S. House of Representatives

February 17, 2026

Jeff Dorman and his family group photo

The Feeding Families Foundation is changing both the standard of care in hospitals and the lives of families across the nation. The nonprofit was recently recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro for its work in bridging a clear gap within pediatric healthcare.

Jeff Dorman, JD ’17, MBA ’17, the founder and chair of the Feeding Families Foundation, has been recognized for the work and impact of the nonprofit by Congresswoman DeLauro.

Although hospitalized children receive meals as part of their care, parents must work harder to stay nourished due to the financial burdens placed on their family or the fear of leaving their child to find food, according to the Feeding Families Foundation.

The mission of the organization is to mitigate these challenges by providing free and accessible meals to the families and caregivers of hospitalized children.

“The Feeding Families Foundation reminds us that food is love, it is dignity, it is what holds families together when everything else feels like it is falling apart,” DeLauro added. “This is what Connecticut does best.”

Dorman started the Feeding Families Foundation after his family’s lived experience.

“Shortly after our daughter’s second birthday, she was diagnosed with leukemia. We spent months at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and quickly learned that while hospitalized children receive meals, their caregivers do not,” said Dorman. “What sounds like ‘just $10 a tray’ becomes hundreds or even thousands of dollars over a long hospital stay — on top of medical bills, parking fees and lost income. For many families, it isn’t just stressful. It’s unsustainable.”

“The Dormans know firsthand what these families endure. The fear, the waiting, the praise whispered over hospital beds. They know that a warm meal, even something as simple as New Haven Apizza, can make a parent feel seen, cared for and just a little less alone. This is about more than pizza; it’s about food insecurity in America,” said DeLauro.

The foundation partners directly with hospital food service teams to ensure that each time a parent orders a meal for their child, they are also offered one, regardless of their financial status. If they say “yes,” the hospital delivers the meal, and the cost is covered behind the scenes by the Feeding Families Foundation.

Since starting this initiative in September 2023, the Feeding Families Foundation has provided more than 10,000 meals to parents and caregivers across the nation, Dorman said. The foundation’s reach continues to grow as it expands its connections with more hospitals and community partners.

The impact of the Feeding Families Foundation has been substantial. Dorman describes one family in particular who greatly benefited from the nonprofit.

“One family had their son spend nearly eight months inpatient. During that time, they told us, ‘Your foundation has been a literal lifesaver for us. We are on day 55 of our hospital stay with no clear timeline to get home. I cannot imagine how we would’ve managed meals and that cost if it wasn’t for Feeding Families,’” said Dorman.

Other families also benefited from the comfort provided by familiar foods.

For one family who had a “pizza Friday” tradition, their family connections did not have to stop when their child was in the hospital. Thanks to the partnership between the Feeding Families Foundation and Modern Apizza in New Haven, the family maintained their traditions.

“Even in the middle of the hospital, they were able to hold onto a small piece of normal family life. Knowing that we were able to offer moments of comfort, connection and dignity during such a painful chapter is something we carry with us every day. Families like theirs are the reason this mission isn’t optional — it’s essential,” said Dorman.

The foundation’s goal is to alter the standard of care across the nation.

“By pairing sustainable funding with strong community partnerships, we’re working toward a future where caregiver meal support is no longer seen as a ‘nice extra,’ but as a basic, expected part of family-centered hospital care nationwide,” said Dorman.

The work and network of the Feeding Families Foundation has continued to grow. Its expansion has been driven by demand from hospitals themselves.

“The parent may receive the plate, but the true beneficiary is the child — who gains a calmer, supported caregiver at the bedside,” said Dorman. “Once clinicians and administrators see the impact of feeding caregivers, they begin asking how to bring the program to their families.”

While reflecting on the skills and assets needed to start the Feeding Families Foundation, Dorman recognized the impact that his Quinnipiac education has had on him and his work.

“Quinnipiac shaped my life in ways I never could have predicted. I never imagined using a JD/MBA to build and lead a national nonprofit, but the education I received at Quinnipiac has been foundational to the Feeding Families Foundation from day one,” he said.

“My legal training helps me navigate hospital partnerships, contracts and regulatory requirements,” Dorman added. “My business education informs how we plan strategically, fundraise responsibly and build systems that allow us to scale across states — whether through hospital partnerships or community-based restaurant models — without losing our personal, family-centered mission.”

Equally important were hands-on experiences like participating in the Veterans Legal Clinic, he said.

“That was the first time I saw how professional skills could be used to stand up for people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. It shaped how I think about dignity, access and service — values that sit at the very heart of the Feeding Families Foundation,” Dorman said. 
“In many ways, Quinnipiac didn’t just give me an education and degrees. It gave me the tools — and the confidence — to build something that didn’t exist yet for families facing some of the hardest days of their lives.”

Learn more about the impact of Feeding Families Foundation

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