For Savannah Kenney, food has always been about more than just sustenance. It’s about connection, comfort and community.

But when she was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2018 after years of searching for answers, that connection was suddenly severed. Gone were the Sunday suppers, the spontaneous coffee-shop pastries, the freedom to grab a slice of cake at a birthday party without fear. Her diagnosis demanded a 100% gluten-free lifestyle, one that came with strict limitations — and often isolation.

“I found myself sitting at the table but not really part of it,” Kenney said. “Everything had to be so carefully vetted. I started bringing my own food everywhere. It was safer, but it also felt lonelier.”

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