Inside this issue

Kitchen Family

Events

Community Support

Calendar of Events

February-May

Newsletter Archives

Past Issues

Find us on

Our Mission

At Mama's Kitchen we believe that every person is entitled to the basic necessity of life, nutritious food. As a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, we prepare and deliver food to men, women and children who are affected by AIDS or cancer.

SAVE THE DATE! A Tradition of Taste

Mama's Day 2010—An Extraordinary Culinary Evening

It would be nearly impossible to dream up a more exciting event than Mama's Day. Who wouldn't love an evening surrounded by an array of gourmet delights prepared by the finest restaurants in San Diego? Not to mention the fabulous setting at the posh Hyatt Regency La Jolla Aventine, great music, a fun and eclectic crowd, and plenty of luscious drinks for sipping! Mama's Day has become one of the most anticipated culinary events in San Diego and is truly a not-to-be-missed dining experience. Made possible by sponsors such as Sycuan Casino, Nordstrom, MAC AIDS Fund and Union Bank of California, the 19th Annual Mama's Day fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 7 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla Aventine. Proceeds help Mama's Kitchen carry out its mission to deliver home-cooked meals to people affected by AIDS or cancer throughout San Diego County. Executive chefs and culinary teams from scores of San Diego's finest restaurants, hotels, and caterers are expected to participate. Spend the evening dining on scrumptious appetizers, delectable entrees, and mouth-watering desserts from your favorite superstar chefs.

Vic Salazar, long-time San Diego TV broadcaster and Mama's Kitchen volunteer, will graciously serve as Master of Ceremonies; and this extraordinary evening wouldn't be complete without Sam "The Cooking Guy" Zien, the 11-time Emmy winner with a national TV series on Discovery's Health channel, who will act as the event's featured Culinary Host. Tickets are available at www.mamaskitchen.org or by calling 619.233.6262.

Letter from the Executive Director

Alberto Cortes This time of year we take the time to both assess the accomplishments of the prior year and put in motion the plan for the next 12 months. It is a time for the expression of gratitude because the accomplishments of 2009 reflect the talent, time and treasure of many people.

Even though 2009 was a year of exceptional challenges, it was also a year of great success. In 2009 Mama's Kitchen delivered 375,723 meals to the homes of 564 men, women, and children who were otherwise vulnerable to hunger due to AIDS or cancer. This represents an increase of 43,194 meals or 13% relative to 2008. Additionally, Mama's Pantry was visited 4,719 times by 727 clients. Here, too, we saw a 10% increase in utilization relative to 2008.

Over 660 individuals affected by HIV/AIDS were served by our home-delivered hot meal program and/or Mama's Pantry. Mama's Kitchen served 85,320 meals through our Critical Illness Nutrition Program – the home-delivered meal program for people affected by cancer.

And once again volunteers provided the heart and hands to serve our clients by providing 29,507 hours of service in 2009 and driving 140,602 miles to deliver meals. Thank you for making the miracle happen yet again.

As impressive as these statistics are, it is a statement from a 52-year-old female that best summarizes the impact of Mama's Kitchen: "I would be dead with stage 4 breast cancer and no other outside help from my family. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!” Thank you San Diego for keeping our clients alive and hopeful.

Mama's Kitchen Turns 20!

2010 marks the 20th anniversary of Mama's Kitchen! Mama's Kitchen was founded in 1990 when volunteers from the AIDS Assistance Fund, who ran a small grocery store for low-income people with AIDS, discovered patients were dying from malnutrition long before their immune systems were overcome by AIDS-related infections. They realized that a reliable home meal delivery service was needed for patients too ill, isolated, or emotionally devastated to help themselves.

Since that time, Mama's Kitchen has opened its meal delivery service to people living with cancer as well as those affected by HIV/AIDS. In our 20 year history, Mama's has never turned away a single person who is eligible for our services, and today, we remain as strongly committed to our mission as ever.