Special Delivery receives grants for diabetes nutrition program

SAN DIEGO – Special Delivery San Diego has recently received grants totaling $55,000 from Bank of America Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Domanica Foundation and Kaiser Permanente to fund its Diabetes Nutrition Program, announced Ruth Henricks, executive director.

“We are honored and so very pleased to receive this support from such prestigious organizations to fund the newest addition to our family of nutrition programs serving San Diegans in need,” stated Henricks. “Special Delivery’s Diabetes Nutrition Program was created in 2014 to address the growing diabetes epidemic in San Diego. This funding will be put to very good use to purchase nutritious foods stocked on the shelves of our diabetic food pantry and our weekly diabetes education classes.”

Special Delivery’s free weekly diabetes education classes, conducted on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Special Delivery, provide individuals diagnosed with diabetes with ongoing information about healthy eating and active living in a culturally and linguistically-appropriate manner to optimally manage their diagnosis. Materially-poor individuals attending the diabetes education class at least once a week may utilize Special Delivery’s diabetic food pantry to shop for diabetic-friendly foods at no charge. This pantry is open after the weekly class on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. This is the first such pantry of its kind in Southern California and the fourth in the U.S.

“Thank you to Bank of America Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Domanica

Foundation and Kaiser Permanente for their ongoing support of our nutrition programs,” remarked Henricks. Since its founding in 1991, Special Delivery has served over 1.8 million meals to over 5,500 clients with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses including cancer, heart disease and kidney disease with its Home-delivered Meal Program. Clients receive two cold meals and one hot meal daily and groceries for the weekend. The organization’s regular Food Pantry Program operates Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., serves over 5,000 materially-poor shoppers annually.

For more information, to sign-up for a program or for volunteer opportunities, contact Special Delivery at 619-297-7373.