25 Years of Food and Love

Join Mama’s Kitchen to celebrate our 25th Anniversary under the stars on Saturday, September 26 at the Illumina Campus in University City. Our goal is to raise $500,000, half of our annual food budget, to continue to deliver hot, nutrition-specific meals to our clients struggling with AIDS or cancer.  Mama’s has delivered over 7.5 million meals since our humble beginnings in 1990.

“Food is love, and Mama’s Kitchen is an expression of that love,” notes Alberto Cortés, Mama’s Executive Director. “Money raised from the 25th Anniversary Celebration will allow us to continue our mission and continue expanding our service to those who need nutrition and love while they battle AIDS or cancer.”

The celebration will include a family style dinner with a delightful farm-to-table menu prepared by Just Call Us Catering, including boneless fried chicken, creamy macaroni and cheese, roasted root vegetables and more, plus Urban Solace’s famous cheddar biscuits with bacon jam and Extraordinary Desserts’ delectable chocolate croissant bread pudding.

While commemorating Mama’s 25 years of service to our community, guests will have a chance to bid on a select group of unique, high-end, live auction items designed to provide a “Food is Love” experience, and participate in a special golden ticket raffle.

Event Chairs Jon Bailey and Indra Gardiner Bowers met at one of Mama’s Kitchen’s first events 25 years ago. The pair opened Bailey Gardiner, one of San Diego’s premiere advertising and public relations agencies, and in 2012 they launched i.d.e.a., an integrated communications shop. “We believe the theme, Food is Love, speaks to what Mama’s Kitchen has served throughout the San Diego community for 25 years,” says Indra Gardiner Bowers. “The food, music, service and environment will all celebrate the feeling that Mama’s shares on a daily basis.”

Honorary co-chairs for the Celebration include Jeanne Jones, Don Breitenberg, John Thornton, and James Bowers.

Our event sponsors include ScrippsKaiser PermanenteSycuanMedImpactThe Hay FoundationHarrah’sThe Park Bankers Hilli.d.e.a., and Scatena Daniels CommunicationsSDG&E joins in honoring Mama’s Kitchen as a Major Program Sponsor.

General admission tickets are available for just $150 each, and VIP tickets are $300 each. VIP includes early access at 5:30 p.m. to an exclusive pre-party featuring exclusive food tastings, premium wines, and a mixology presentation by Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien before doors open to the general admission at 6:00 p.m.

If you are unable to attend, you can still support our 25th Celebration and “Stock Mama’s Shelves” by purchasing food items such as milk for one month for $2,300, a week’s worth of whole wheat bread for $250, or bananas for a day for $100.

For tickets, click here.