Updated: 1/29/2025

As you may be aware, this morning, the Federal Office of Management and Budget, issued a new memo rescinding the office’s previously announced temporary pause on federal grant, loan and other financial assistance programs. Mama’s Kitchen is grateful for this news and the termination of the imminent funding pause that could have had detrimental impacts on nonprofit nutrition service providers and Mama’s Kitchen. 

This year, approximately $1.5 million (close to 25%) of all funding for Mama’s Kitchen’s essential nutrition programs, which more than 3,000 San Diegans rely upon each year, comes from federal grant programs

As the news of this potential pause set in yesterday, our leadership at Mama’s Kitchen was working to speak with our elected officials, local federal program administrators and our partners at the Food is Medicine Coalition to understand the possible impacts. Simultaneously, our staff was working to deliver 7,600 medically tailored meals to 845 critically ill individuals across the county.

We fielded many calls yesterday from clients concerned about whether this would mean their meals would stop.

HOW CHANGES TO FEDERAL FUNDING COULD IMPACT MAMA’S KITCHEN AND OTHER SAN DIEGO NUTRITION ORGANIZATIONS: 

Mama’s Kitchen works to maintain highly diversified philanthropic funding sources to prevent drastic impact or disruptions to our work during emergencies or funding changes. However, broad disruptions or changes in federal grant funding could significantly impact our operations. Close to 25% of our annual operating budget, and close to all our funding for clients living with HIV/AIDS, comes from federal grants. These grants include the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program, the Older Californians Nutrition Program through the department of Aging and Independent Services, and Community Development Block Grant funding from numerous cities throughout San Diego. 

Many other nutrition security nonprofits throughout San Diego rely on this federal funding to support the 1 in 4 San Diegans who experience nutrition insecurity.

OUR COMMITMENT:

Please know Mama’s Kitchen is dedicated to ensuring that ALL critically ill San Diegans have access to healthy and appropriate nutrition. We will continue to advocate for our clients and their basic rights. Our clients cannot access other nutrition services or even grocery stores. Ensuring we can continue to provide meals to ALL individuals in need is essential.   

Thank you for your support of Mama’s Kitchen and critically individuals and families throughout San Diego. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at 619.233.6262.

 

Updated: 1/28/2025

WHAT HAS HAPPENED: On Monday, January 27th, the Federal Office of Management and Budget issued a memo announcing a temporary pause on federal grant, loan and other financial assistance programs. While the pause has been temporarily blocked until Monday February 3, 2025, Mama’s Kitchen is staying informed along the way.  

Close to 25% of all funding for Mama’s Kitchen’s essential nutrition programs, which more than 3,000 San Diegans rely upon each year, comes from federal grant programs 

The two-page memo did not provide clarity on the extent to which funding that is disbursed to states or municipalities to allocate to others (the primary avenue of Mama’s Kitchen’s federal grant funding) will be affected. However, it does identify paused funding to include: 

  • Recipients or subrecipients who receive support in the form of grants and food commodities among other forms1 

WHAT NEXT: 

At this time, services to our clients will continue uninterrupted. Mama’s Kitchen is working quickly to gain a deeper understanding of how this pause would affect our organization and mission. We have already spoken with our elected officials, local federal program administrators and our partners at the Food is Medicine Coalition and will update our supporters with additional information as available.  

MEMO OVERVIEW:  

The memo outlines that federal agencies have until February 10th to submit detailed information on their existing or new programs that are subject to the pause. Agencies must assign a senior political appointee to each program to ensure the financial assistance conforms to the Administration’s priorities. Programs that do not align with the Administration’s priorities will be withdrawn or cancelled to the extent permissible by law. All funding will remain paused until the Office of Management and Budget has reviewed and provided guidance on each program. The Office may grant exceptions to the pause on a case-by-case basis. No timing has been provided for an estimated completion of the review or an end for the pause.   

HOW THIS IMPACTS MAMA’S KITCHEN AND OTHER SAN DIEGO NUTRITION ORGANIZATIONS: 

Mama’s Kitchen works to maintain highly diversified philanthropic funding sources to prevent drastic impact or disruptions to our work during emergencies or funding changes. However, should this pause include funding administered by states (the primary avenue of Mama’s Kitchen’s federal grant funding), a long-term pause on all federal grant programs, counties, and cities, could significantly impact our operations. Close to 25% of our annual operating budget, and close to all our funding for clients living with HIV/AIDS, comes from federal grants. These grants include the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), the Older Californians Nutrition Program through the department of Aging and Independent Services, and Community Development Block Grant funding from numerous cities throughout San Diego.  

Many other nutrition security nonprofits throughout San Diego rely on this federal funding to support the 1 in 4 San Diegans who experience nutrition insecurity. 

OUR COMMITMENT: 

Please know Mama’s Kitchen is dedicated to ensuring that ALL critically ill San Diegans have access to healthy and appropriate nutrition. We will continue to advocate for our clients and their basic rights. Our clients cannot access other nutrition services or even grocery stores. Ensuring we can continue to provide meals to ALL individuals in need is essential.    

Thank you for your support of Mama’s Kitchen and critically individuals and families throughout San Diego. 

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at 619.233.6262. 

NOTE: We will share updates on this blog, as we learn additional information about this situation and its effects on Mama’s Kitchen. 

1Code of Federal Regulations eCFR :: 2 CFR 200.1 — Definitions.