San Diego Food Bank and Mama’s Kitchen Receive Grants to Provide Food to San Diego Families
SAN DIEGO, Calif., June 18, 2010 – The Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Council today announced two grants totaling $65,000 to San Diego hunger relief nonprofits: the San Diego Food Bank and Mama’s Kitchen. The grants will support the organizations’ shared mission of providing nutritious food to those who are unable to access basic needs due to poor health or economics.
“In these challenging economic times, more and more people are in need of food assistance and the Walmart Foundation’s California State Giving Council believes that by working together we can solve these challenges,” said Kimberly Sentovich, Senior Vice President of the Pacific Division of Walmart. “We are proud to partner with the San Diego Food Bank and Mama’s Kitchen who are working daily to provide meals to San Diegans who are in need.”
Serving a 4,500 square mile radius in San Diego County, the San Diego Food Bank transports food to drop-off locations providing meals to 300,000 people a month. With a particular focus on reaching seniors with no income and working families with children, the Walmart Foundation grant will directly support the funding of a new trailer to help with food delivery.
“The San Diego Food Bank is deeply grateful to the Walmart Foundation for enabling the Food Bank to purchase a new semi-truck trailer,” said J. Scofield Hage, Executive Director of the San Diego Food Bank. “The addition of a large-scale trailer to the Food Bank’s limited fleet of vehicles will create vast efficiencies in our food collection and distribution program, increase the amount of fresh, nutritious food we can procure and distribute to the hungry in San Diego County, and it will further increase the Food Bank’s access to smaller communities in the county. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Food Bank team, we would like to recognize the Walmart Foundation for the exemplary role it is playing in our community.”
The $25,000 grant to Mama’s Kitchen in San Diego will be directly applied toward paying for meals and containers given to chronically ill people and their families. The grant will provide 9,293 nourishing meals to local residents too ill, isolated, or emotionally devastated to provide for themselves. Volunteer-based and community-driven, Mama’s Kitchen has provided nourishment to thousands of cancer and AIDS/HIV patients in its twenty-year operation.
“Mama’s Kitchen is so appreciative of the Walmart Foundation’s support to our mission to provide meals to chronically ill people and their families,” said Alberto Cortes, Executive Director of Mama’s Kitchen. “Walmart Foundation is a great partner, especially in these difficult economic times, and their support will allow us to provide over 9,200 additional meals to our clients who are struggling with cancer and AIDS/HIV.”
In May 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation also announced a $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment today, stepping up efforts to help end hunger in America, including 203,600 pounds of food to the San Diego region.
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About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From Feb. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $467 million in cash and in-kind gifts, including donating 127 million pounds of nutritious food to U.S. food banks. Internationally, Walmart gave $45 million in cash and in-kind gifts to charitable organizations. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.
*Ed. Note: Walmart operates Foundations in the U.S., Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom. In addition to its Foundation giving, Walmart makes charitable contributions locally in every community where it operates.
About the San Diego Food Bank
Established in 1977, the San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Through a combination of government programs and partnerships with over 350 San Diego County nonprofit charities, the SDFB acts as a central repository and distribution point for government and donated food. The SDFB distributes more than 13 million pounds of food annually to individuals, families and a network of nonprofit organizations that work to alleviate hunger throughout the county. Visit the San Diego Food Bank at www.sandiegofoodbank.org.
About 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. In 2006 Mama’s Kitchen expanded its mission to serve people under the age of 60 with illnesses other than AIDS, and in 2009 the Mama’s Kitchen’s scope was refocused to provide nutritional support to critically-ill local residents most vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition: those fighting AIDS or any type of cancer. Today, Mama’s Kitchen provides 100% of the daily nutrition recommended by the American Dietetic Association for people with AIDS or cancer, offering 20 different meal plans. In 2009, the Kitchen delivered 375,723 freshly prepared meals to a total of 1327 clients, free of charge. In its 20 years of service to the San Diego community, Mama’s Kitchen has never turned away anyone who qualifies for its program.