By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–The San Diego community once again came through for Mama’s Kitchen, raising more than $170,000 at the 34th annual Mama’s Day culinary event.
The event also served as a wider introduction to the new Resiliency Fund, which aims to raise $1 million for the organization amid federal funding cuts to programs like Medi-Cal included in the recently passed federal budget bill.
“Every year we are blown away by the outpouring of support we receive for Mama’s Day, but this year, as we face funding cuts that directly impact almost 40% of the people we serve, that support is more important than ever,” says Mama’s Kitchen CEO Eva Matthews. “The money we raised from Mama’s Day will go directly to serving our clients when they need us most. We were also grateful to be able to put the spotlight on our new Resiliency Fund, which will help us make sure that no one loses access to our services, regardless of policy changes ahead of us.”
Culinary partners 6th & G Breakfast Co., Babe Kombucha, Carnitas’ Snack Shack, The Cottage, La Gran Terraza, Maya’s Cookies, Off The Plancha, Pali Wine Co., The Pastrami Stand, Piatti, R&B Tea, Sally’s Fish House, Snooze A.M. Eatery, and Sushi Assassin provided attendees with unlimited tastings and snacks throughout the evening at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. While sampling the delicious food, attendees also enjoyed live music, dazzling magic tricks, and received an extensive introduction to the Resiliency Fund from Matthews.
As of Mama’s Day, Mama’s Kitchen had already received notice that one of its largest federal funding sources would be canceled for the remaining contract years, resulting in more than a $200,000 annual loss of funding. With the signing of the federal budget bill on July 4th, the expected annual loss rose to $350,000.
The Resiliency Fund aims to recover lost funds while creating a safety net to prevent any interruptions of service for individuals who access Mama’s Kitchen through Medi-Cal. With 42% of Mama’s Kitchen’s funding coming from federal sources such as grants and Medi-Cal reimbursements, there is much more at risk – up to 400,000 meals for 1,300 people each year.
That means 1,300 critically ill San Diegans who have relied on Mama’s Kitchen for medically-tailored meal deliveries to support their bodies’ response to treatment and improve their overall health will suddenly have one less weapon in the fight against their illness. For many of these people, medically tailored meals are not just a part of their treatment plan, but their only means of accessing consistent, nutritional food.
The Resiliency Fund will be dedicated to providing medically tailored meal deliveries, ensuring that no one in need is turned away from Mama’s Kitchen’s services.
Medically tailored meals provide highly specialized, nutrient-dense meal plans that increase immune responses for specific illnesses. A medically tailored meal plan does not take the place of traditional treatment, but it does increase the overall effectiveness of treatment for cancer, heart disease, and HIV.
It’s not just individuals who benefit– widespread use of medically tailored meals lessens the burden on the entire healthcare system. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that when individuals with complex health conditions receive medically tailored meals, there is a 50% decrease in hospitalization and a 70% drop in emergency room visits. This decrease in emergency care would result in a 16% reduction in net healthcare costs.
A similar study from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy predicted that if all eligible patients were to receive medically tailored meals, nearly 1.6 million hospitalizations could be avoided, resulting in $13.6 billion being saved in the first year of widespread adoption of medically tailored meals. In general, medically tailored meal providers are responsible for the life-altering care of the chronically ill, who make up 50% of national healthcare costs.
Supporting medically tailored meals directly impacts individuals with chronic illness, all while greatly alleviating pressures on the wider healthcare system. The best way to support Mama’s Kitchen’s meal delivery services is to donate directly to the Resiliency Fund, but it’s not the only way.
Mama’s Kitchen always needs volunteers in the kitchen prepping food, answering calls at the reception desk, or delivering meals across San Diego. Volunteering allows community members to make a hands-on impact on Mama’s Kitchen’s daily operations and can help alleviate the financial stress of any funding cuts.
The public can make donations directly to the Resiliency Fund by clicking here.
To learn more about Mama’s Kitchen, sign up to volunteer, or make a direct donation to the organization, visit MamasKitchen.org.
