When one is chronically ill, and a friend wishes to help her (or him!), the first thing that comes to mind is to bring a meal.
In fact, since the most popular gift to bring is a meal, I wrote the book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend to get people to think beyond food. Sometimes all we can think of is to bring a meal! Why is that? Well, a meal is a gift of comfort. And even though we –who are chronically ill–may be physically able to cook, it takes a burden off of us so that we can use the energy we would have spent cooking doing something else.
I have discovered that many people who cook for the chronically ill and offer to bring a meal to them, are actually ill themselves. Though it is easy to understand new mommies and those who have just had surgery are in need of meals, those who see a chronically ill friend at the bank and picking their daughter up from school, it’s hard to understand why they would need someone to cook for them.
But those who have a chronic illness understand just how much a meal can make a difference. It makes a difference in practical ways, like not having to cook dinner for your family that night. But it also tells someone, “I acknowledge your (invisible) illness. I recognize how hard it can be to just get through the day sometimes. I know how hard you are trying to do it all and not complain. Let me give you this gift.”
So, in that spirit, here at Rest Ministries we are providing some fun printables to use when you give someone a meal. These can be downloaded and then printed out. You can tape it onto the foil covering a meal, print it on label paper you can get at your local office supply store, or punch a hole and attach it with a piece of ribbon. When you bring a meal to a friend or a family, it makes that special meal a true gift and tells the person you are delivering it to that they are very special!
The circles can be added to any little item, condiment, gift bag of something, etc. with a note from you!
Please feel free to share these, “pin them”, print out and distribute them to people in your support group to use, email the link to your women’s ministry leader–whatever you can do to share. Our only stipulation is that you do not repost them as your own creation. Thanks! You can download these free printable meal delivery labels here or click the image below.
Looking for some tips when you are bringing meals to an ill friend? We have a whole article about this, How to Bring a Meal to an Ill Friend. (Like, what if she refuses, has allergies, has picky eaters for children and more)
As the recipient of many meal gifts, I truly appreciate how much NOT having to plan or cook dinner can mean for someone who has a chronic illness. And I also love to provide meals to others, so I will put the labels to good use. (Have you checked out the “Take Them A Meal” website? It’s a great way to coordinate providing meals online!)
Thank you for such a positive, encouraging post. As a senior adult (widow), I love preparing for others and at the same time, because I am older and often find myself moving around a little slower on random days, a simple gift from someone (like a meal for one, a loaf of bread, a jar of freshly made jam/jelly) makes the day even more special. We all need to make the effort to do those little “extras” for someone else because we never know how often they can turn a “blue” day into a happy one! Keep up the good work and thank you for making the “labels” available for all of us to use. It blesses my heart when I see someone willing to share what they have and not ask for something in return.
What a nice idea!
This sounds like a great book—There are so many out there who could use some encouragement!
I never knew until I haven’t been able to do a lot of cooking. How much I love making large meals and sharing the meals with others. To me cooking larger taste so much better. Also, how I was so tired of eating my own cooking.
I love labels!! Just finished my first year of culinary school (with many struggles courtesy of my chronic illness but I still did it!!), we used labels for EVERYTHING so important to properly label things and these ones are soo cute!! Totally going to put these to good use!!!
I rarely cook except for when we have company. My husband puts our meals together after his day at work so we eat later. I really enjoy reading recipes and often think I will cook again some day. Thanks for this offer!
This sounds like such a great book! My Sunday school class is like my family, and they are doing so much to care for us like this book suggests. Cooking homemade, healthy meals for my family is something that is incredibly difficult for me to do now that my chronic pain has become worse, so anything from helping me chop vegetables, to bringing over fresh fruit because I couldn’t make it out to the store means so much.
Love the adorable labels, can’t wait to read the book!
Adorable!!! Such a lovely gesture!!! Will have to send on next meal I give to a family!! Love them!!!
That sounds like a wonderful book! Support from friends and family is vital
These are so cute!
Very cute labels. Love the idea of other things I can do.
Like their Mother and Uncle, Grandmother and Great Uncle before them, for a month every summer my Grandniece and Grandnephew come to stay with me. They have been doing this since they were four and six… they are now 11 and 14. So many years! For one month out of 12 I know I will have help. For 30 days someone will pick up what I drop, bring me a drink, carry bags into the house, hold open a door. Four weeks of someone running to get the mail, setting the table, feeding the cats, A month of help to wash dishes, do laundry, carry out the trash. And they will do it willingly, cheerfully, and without recompense. For one month a year I will hurt less and smile more,
When they were younger, Mom and Uncle would spend alternating weekends helping me. Before them it was my “little” sister and brother. All wonderful, compassionate, younger-and-healthier-than me kids doing what they could to help make the life of someone fraught with disabilities a little easier. I have been truly blessed!
The last two years have been particularly hard… multiple hospital stays, worsening pain, a car accident, a break-up and moving–three times!–death of a dear friend, yet another diagnosis of yet another new problem, surgery on my spine, stays in a rehab unit, serious side effects from meds, And in the middle of all that, I met and married a marvelous man who looks past what I can’t DO to see what I AM! At the ripe “old” age of 60!
So… the moral of my story is that, yes, my life has problems that I must suffer, however, I also have blessings, for God has not left me to suffer alone. I thank Him for providing help and love for my journey! I thank my family, that they have been wonderfully kind and generous. I thank my husband, who stands by me and encourages me every day.
And I thank Rest Ministries and HopeKeepers and Lisa Copen who publish books, run websites, educate the public, and encourage and support those of us who have chronic illnesses as well as our caretakers and loved ones,… and do it all while dealing with your own daily lives, chronic illnesses, and disabilities.
Love these labels! Being chronically ill for over 20 years, I know how much meals come in handy & u’r right – I love to make meals for others when I can. Right now I have a broken left wrist & have a bar & pins sticking in my skin from the outside. No fun, but God is with me & my devoted hubby & this makes all the difference!!
Hi Lisa! This is a great idea for those who do not have great hand writing due to problems with hands, grasping control of pen. etc. I love to cook whenever I can and share with others who I know would enjoy a treat or snack! I love labels, trying to make my own but these are so much better! My husband has become the cook now in our family and I know he would love this cookbook as he is always thinking of new ideas of different meals to serve us and not the same meals over and over. I would like to make it a Fathers’ Day gift to him since he does so much for us…he’s been a BIG Helper to me.
Pretty labels!
This book looks good. So often people tell me they get frustrated because they feel so helpless around my illnesses. Many well meaning church people try and “fix” a problem that may not even be there. This would give me and people in my church ideas of how to help. It would also help with the all or nothing (either sick and not in church or well and in church) thoughts out there. Love the printable decals too! A wonderful idea for chronically ill people riddled with fatigue and pain.
I love you idea for meal lables. Thank you so much for sharing, as I can get alot of use out of these when preparing meals for ailing families.
I’m having trouble downloading this file to print. can you email to be directly? Thanks!
Let me check on that file, Valerie. It is too big to email, but I have had some other files that are saved get new links.
Love the labels…whenever I’ve cooked a meal or baked something for family or friends who are sick or just needing help, I’m always wishing I had something nice to attach to the meal, rather than a quickly written piece of paper. Thank you for these labels 🙂
I cant figure out how to download the labels?
These printable labels are just perfect for the meal service our parish provides. I am having trouble downloading them though… I have signed up for sendspace and everything but safari won’t allow the download. Any suggestions? How did y’all get them out of the computer haha!
Hi, Kris, I emailed you the link. Keep me posted.
I can’t download the file – I get the following error message when I try:
Sorry, the file you requested is not available.
Possible reasons include:
– File date limit has expired.
– File was not successfully uploaded.
It is not possible to restore the file. Please contact the uploader and ask them to upload the file again
I just found your website and am very excited about it and looking forward to learning much from my time here!!
sorry, Ellie! I will fix it in the next 48 hours!
Hi, Ellie! it is all fixed and I updated the labels so they are nice and fresh and cute. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much! I’ll definitely be putting these to use! I appreciate your prompt help with the error message too!!
so glad you got my message 🙂 Enjoy!
These labels are so cute! I’m trying to print them for a meal I’m making for our teachers today and I can’t get them to download? Thoughts?