Mama's Kitchen's History
In 1990 volunteers from the AIDS Assistance Fund discovered that people with AIDS were dying from complications of malnutrition long before their immune systems were overcome by AIDS-related infections. Many were low-income and too ill, isolated or emotionally devastated to help themselves. Mama’s Kitchen was established as a San Diego nonprofit organization to offer nutritional support by way of a home meal delivery service. Since then Mama’s Kitchen has prepared and delivered three nourishing meals a day, every day of the year, to the men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in San Diego County.
The Children’s Nutritional Health Program was created when we discovered that parents with AIDS were sharing their meals from Mama’s Kitchen with their children. Because these parents were too sick to cook meals for their families, they were deprived of the badly-needed nutrition to help fight their illness, and their children were being malnourished.
In 2009 we supplied over 43,000 meals to 75 children who needed and deserved our helping hand, including 43 children ages 13 and under.
Mama’s Pantry opened its doors in February of 2004 to clients who don't need home meal deliveries, but can benefit from an occasional bag of groceries to help maintain their health and stretch their food budgets. Once a month clients can visit Mama’s Pantry and select their own non-perishable items such as cereals, pastas and canned goods from a wide inventory.
In February of 2006 Mama's Kitchen took a big step by expanding its services to people with other critical illnesses. Called the Critical Illness Nutrition Program, this expansion makes home-delivered meals available to people under age 60 who are living with cancer that make food preparation a challenge.
Since our first day of operations we have never turned away anyone qualified for our services and we are determined that we never will.
Mama’s Kitchen, Inc. is a San Diego nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)3 charity organization.
