SAN DIEGO – Mama’s Pantry, a service of Mama’s Kitchen, provides a nutritional shopping opportunity at no cost for low income men, women and children of San Diego County affected by HIV/AIDS. Mama’s Kitchen is calling on the public to participate in the third annual Independence from Hunger, an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses, schools and community groups to host food drives during July 2013 to ensure the pantry shelves are full with nutritious non-perishable food items.
Established in 2004, Mama’s Pantry has been serving residents of San Diego County for nine years. The service is designed to meet the needs of clients with HIV/AIDS who can benefit from occasional nutritional support to maintain their health and stretch their food budget. Once a month, clients visit Mama’s Pantry to select their own non-perishable items such as cereals, pastas and canned goods from a wide inventory. An estimated 800 individuals will receive food from Mama’s Pantry this year.
When Mama’s Kitchen moved into a larger facility in City Heights in August 2011, they were able to move Mama’s Pantry from their offsite location in the neighborhood of North Park into their new building. Since then, perishable food items, such as milk, meats and fruit, have been added to the inventory available for clients.
The Independence from Hunger food drive campaign will take place July 1 through 31, and the public’s help is needed to replenish the inventory during the summer months. Non-perishable food donation recommendations include the following: boxes of cereal, packages of flour, instant oatmeal packets, bottles of cooking oil, jars of peanut butter, jars of jelly, bags of rice, packages of dried beans, spaghetti sauce, boxes of pasta, packets of pasta dinners, canned goods (fruits, soups, vegetables, chili, pasta and beans), macaroni and cheese, tuna fish/salmon, cake mixes and icing, and small boxes of dry milk. The goal is to collect 100 barrels of non-perishable food items during the month.
It is easy to sponsor and host a food drive for Mama’s Pantry. July is often a time for friends and family to celebrate with parties and backyard barbecues, and asking guests to bring a few items for Mama’s Pantry can help turn your get-together into a party with a purpose. To schedule a barrel delivery, contact Bill Patten at bill@mamaskitchen.org or call 619-233-6262. Mama’s Kitchen will also make arrangements to pick up the barrels once the food drive has ended. A wish list of the non-perishable food items that you can customize will also be provided for your group to use for promotion. For more information about the 2013 Independence from Hunger food drive and to download a toolkit with ideas on how to host a successful food drive, please click here.
