For some, food is more than fuel—it’s a tool for healing, connection, and cultural pride.

Swati Rampalli, Jaitri Joshi, and Abygail Andebrhan met during their first year as students at the University of Minnesota Medical School and quickly bonded over their shared belief in the power of culturally relevant foods—foods that reflect a person’s cultural traditions, values, and lived experiences—to support health and well-being. The bond went beyond friendship, and with philanthropic support from the Medical School Class of 1966, the trio launched an interactive workshop series to bring people together around food, health, and heritage.

“We’re inspired by our own immigrant experiences,” Rampalli says. “We saw how these workshops could show people how there are multiple forms of healing.”

Each workshop brings together medical students and other members of the community for a cooking demonstration by a local chef alongside a physician-led discussion of the featured foods’ health benefits. So far, the workshop series, organized in partnership with local youth organization Urban Roots, has highlighted Hmong, Mexican, and Somali cuisines, offering participants not only practical nutrition tips but also an opportunity to celebrate cultural identity.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, Rampalli says. Thanks to donor support, the organizers were able to compensate chefs, community partners, and presenters—an ethical commitment that was central to their vision.

“Philanthropy allowed us to do it in a way we felt good about,” Andebrhan says. “It helped us uplift members of the community who shared their time, stories, and skills.”

The trio hopes to continue the workshops with future funding, while also encouraging the healthcare community to recognize the significance of food in people’s lives.

“Across different cultures, food is very intentional,” Rampalli says. “When you acknowledge that, you’re seeing somebody the way they want to be seen—and in medicine, that’s one of the best ways you can make somebody feel safe.”