A volunteer assembles a meal for a client at Mama’s Kitchen headquarters. (Photo courtesy of Mama’s Kitchen)

For the last 35 years, Mama’s Kitchen has provided support to San Diego residents suffering from illnesses through no-cost, medically-tailored meal deliveries.

In the last year alone, they’ve served 2,853 individuals 900,026 meals to help those who are ailing and at risk of malnutrition.

The nonprofit was established in 1990 by a San Diego caregiver who was concerned about her neighbors impacted by the AIDS epidemic. She formed a group of volunteers to cook and deliver free meals to those suffering with AIDS.

Mama’s Kitchen has since expanded to serve those with a myriad of critical illnesses, including HIV, cancer, congestive heart failure, Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. 

Mama’s Kitchen is funded by a combination of donations and contracts, with both government and non-governmental sources. But federal funding — which chief executive officer Eva Matthews notes had historically only grown over time — has been sharply cut. 

Funding that Mama’s Kitchen received from an ongoing contract with the federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, or HOPWA, program was terminated at the end of April.

This amounts to a total loss of $600,000 over the three years that the HOPWA contract was intended to cover. 

“The county is looking for funds that are not HOPWA funds to try to extend the current year, but as far as we know right now, we don’t have any confirmation that they’re able to do that,” Matthews said. “We’re still a little bit in limbo.” 

Another $150,000 from a federally-funded community block grant for this year has been cut for Mama’s Kitchen, which means it has lost $350,000 this year alone.

Federal funds comprise 42% of Mama’s Kitchen’s budget, which translates to approximately 400,000 meals for 1,300 individuals at risk, according to Matthews. 

Mama’s Kitchen has launched a Resiliency Fund to counteract federal cuts in hopes of raising $1 million for the organization. 

“What we’re doing with the Resiliency Fund is creating stability in a time of uncertainty, so that we can maintain service without interruption and also continue to be on the forefront of the services that we’re providing (and) making sure that we’re reaching everyone who needs those services,” Matthews said. 

Their annual culinary event fundraiser enjoyed an influx of community support, with the organization raising more than $170,000 in late July. But with funding for programs like SNAP and Medicaid also slashed, services like the ones provided by Mama’s Kitchen have only become more critical.

One Mama’s Kitchen volunteer, Denise Foster, worked as a nurse for over 40 years. Her work has shown her how important nutrition is for health and recovery, she said.

But beyond the meals, the food delivery service provides individuals with moments of social connection they may not otherwise have while suffering from a chronic illness. Whether it be conversations about their health, their family, or politics, Foster said she has talked to and gotten to know many of the individuals she delivers food to on Tuesdays in North County. 

“Visits from our volunteers and our staff really create an environment of caring for (those served by Mama’s Kitchen,” Matthews said. “It’s not just about providing a meal, it’s providing the right nutrition for their diagnosis and it’s coming from a place of love.”