Alberto Cortés celebrates 20 years as CEO of Mama’s Kitchen

This fall, Alberto Cortés celebrates his 20th year as Executive Director/CEO of Mama’s Kitchen. Alberto’s impactful leadership over the past two decades has shaped Mama’s Kitchen into a San Diego institution and indispensable resource for the most vulnerable members of our community. We sat down with past board chair Tom D’Amico to reminisce about Alberto’s… Read the full article »


Messages of gratitude from our clients

Messages of happiness, healing, rejoice, and gratitude are, of course, some of our favorite types of messages we receive from our clients. Throughout the year, we receive meaningful notes that remind us why cook and deliver thousands of meals each week and work so hard to support our neighbors in need. Read some of these… Read the full article »


Volunteer Spotlight: The Stech Family

Meet Summer and Brad Stech, a San Diego couple who gives back to their community by volunteering as a family.  Brad and Summer have been long time friends. Both attended the same middle school and high school in San Antonio, Texas. In high school both ran with the same crowd and ended up having theatre… Read the full article »


Non Discrimination Statement

Notice of Non-Discrimination Mama’s Kitchen complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity) or national origin. Additionally, Mama’s Kitchen: Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively… Read the full article »


American Heart Month: Ways to Join the Effort

A healthier heart can lead to a healthier life! This month, we hope to encourage and motivate everyone to adopt heart-healthy behaviors, together. Research shows having social support and personal networks makes getting regular physical activity, eating healthy, losing weight, reducing stress, and quitting smoking easier. Here are five ways to get started! Encourage Healthy… Read the full article »


Heart-Healthy Recipes

Show your heart some love by preparing tasty, nutritious meals for American Heart Month! When we take care of our hearts as part of our self-care, we set an example for those around us to do the same. Bon appétit! Breakfast Egg White Omelet With Diced Tomato, Sliced Avocado & Cotija Cheese Ingredients: Dice Tomatoes… Read the full article »


Mama’s Kitchen Completes Diabetes Pilot Program Evaluation

Every day, our staff and volunteers witness the impact of our medically tailored meals and nutrition intervention. But aside from first-hand experience, research and data collected around medically tailored meals shows how services like ours can improve overall health and can slow or stop disease progression. When we first began serving individuals with uncontrolled type… Read the full article »


Mama’s Kitchen Hires New Chief Operating Officer

Mama’s Kitchen is happy to announce that our organization has added a new position to its executive staff, hiring our first Chief Operating Officer (COO). Andrew Picard will begin serving as Mama’s Kitchen’s COO on February 1, 2022. This newly created position will increase our organization’s capacity in both breadth and complexity, while assuring continued… Read the full article »


Mama’s Kitchen Client: Jaymee

Cancer does not descriminate, it affects people across all ages, races and classes. Our client Jaymee J. is all too familiar with “That Sh*t Called Cancer.” She was at the top of her career as a former TV host, and movie personality in the Philippines when she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in… Read the full article »


Mama’s Kitchen’s Response To The Supply Chain Crisis

While the pandemic has started to improve, a second crisis has hit the nation and our own community – a global supply chain disruption. As Mama’s Kitchen’s Executive Chef, I want to share with you, our stakeholders, how this impacts Mama’s Kitchen, and how we are responding and preparing for this crisis, which is expected… Read the full article »


A Year After Expansion: Reflections From Our New Chronic Kidney Disease Nutrition Program

Exactly twelve months ago, Mama’s Kitchen was enrolling our first client into our new Chronic Kidney Disease Nutrition Program.   When we received a generous grant from the Cushman Foundation to expand our mission scope and launch this program, we predicted serving 15 clients the first year, and 90 by the third year. Twelve months later, we have served 92 clients, close to six… Read the full article »


18 Months In

For a majority of us, the past 18 months have been defined by change.   But for too many, that change has meant not having a safe and secure source of healthy food for themselves or their family. Mama’s Kitchen has served more than 1 million healthy, medically tailored meals since the beginning of the pandemic – representing 10% of the 10 million meals we have served since our… Read the full article »


How Celebrate National Nonprofit Day

Every year, Mama’s Kitchen helps thousands of San Diegans who are vulnerable to hunger due to critical illness by providing medically tailored meals, nutrition counseling and pantry services – all at no cost. In fiscal year 2021, Mama’s Kitchen home delivered 599,938 medically tailored meals to individuals affected by cancer, HIV, type 2 diabetes, congestive… Read the full article »


State of the Kitchen Address | August 11, 2021

Thank you to all who tuned in for the State of the Kitchen Address on August 11th! If you didn’t get a chance to watch live, check out the recorded broadcast below and be sure to subscribe to our Youtube page here. During our one-hour address, CEO Alberto Cortés shares some of our recent successes,… Read the full article »


Fundraising Resources

Thank you for your interest in fundraising for Mama’s Kitchen! We are grateful you have chosen to share your Mama’s Kitchen story with your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to inspire their support of our mission. We look forward to helping you make your campaign a success! On this page you will find all kinds… Read the full article »


Healthcare Partners

Are you a healthcare provider or social worker interested in referring a patient to our program? Click here. Use the power of nutrition to improve your patient’s health and reduce preventable health care costs. Mama’s Kitchen specializes in medically tailored meals and individualized nutrition education for individuals with critical illnesses. Medically tailored meals are an… Read the full article »


Happy Juneteenth

Happy Juneteenth from Mama’s Kitchen!  On June 19th, 1865, Union-Major General Gordon Granger brought news of the Emancipation Proclamation to people who were enslaved in Texas.   This news came two years after President Lincoln issued the Proclamation, but not every territory in the US had followed the president’s orders to free all enslaved people. On June 19th,… Read the full article »


Values

Our Values Decisions and behaviors are driven and guided by the following core values at Mama’s Kitchen. Dignity and Respect Focus on the individual is at the heart of everything we do at Mama’s Kitchen. Mama’s Kitchen fosters a community where mutual respect and dignity are preserved by promoting humanity, compassion and empathy towards our… Read the full article »


2020 Volunteers of the Year

Congratulations to this year’s Volunteers of the Year! Thank you so much for the immeasurable value of work you’ve have done for Mama’s Kitchen and those fighting critical illnesses in San Diego. We can not thank you all enough, and want to let you all know that your dedication is essential to the work that… Read the full article »