We celebrate. We evolve. We serve.

Mama’s Kitchen delivered its eight millionth meal on March 30, 2016. In doing so we celebrate the tens of thousands of lives touched with a message of love and caring; and we acknowledge the supporters that made this milestone possible. It took millions of miles traveled to deliver those meals, hundreds of thousands of hours volunteered preparing and packaging, and tens of millions of dollars contributed to purchase that food.

In an effort of responsiveness to the needs of San Diego County residents affected by AIDS or cancer, Mama’s Kitchen continues to evolve by introducing two programs:

• our Emergency Food Assistance Program; and
• our Medical Nutrition Therapy Program.

Funded by the County of San Diego with Ryan White Care Act funds, these two programs look to expand the continuum of nutrition services available to people living with HIV.

Thoughtful evolution can only happen in an environment where improvement is a conscious and continuous effort. We are looking at our mission and our services through the work of two task forces (mission and social enterprise) and a quality assurance committee. And we are assessing ways to make better an already exceptional board (board size, make-up, and functions). The intent of these efforts is to serve the largest number of clients possible, with the best services possible, in the most comprehensive way possible.

And we continue to serve. As I write, volunteer drivers are arriving to deliver some 940 meals to 313 clients. The clock for the next eight million meals is already ticking.

 

Alberto Cortés, Executive Director