Project Open Hand (San Francisco)
Meals with love

Aug 20 | archive | subscribe

In 1985 in San Francisco, Ruth Brinker, a retired grandmother, watched a dear friend die of AIDS. She realized that for many people with HIV/AIDS, malnutrition was causing death as much as the illness itself. Brinker enlisted the help of her friends, secured a basement kitchen at a local church and began to serve meals to seven clients.

Project Open Hand has been growing ever since. In 1989, they started serving people with AIDS in Alameda County and in 1997 moved to its current home on 730 Polk Street. In 1998, they began serving congregate lunches to seniors at various sites throughout San Francisco and in 2000 expanded its services to provide Meals with Love to people who are homebound and critically ill.

"There's no greater feeling in the world than to bring food to someone who really needs it." Brinker says. Her vision of "nutrition with compassion" is being shared with other people in need. People who have limited social services available to them and are in need of the comfort these meals provide.

CATEGORY: Homebound, Elderly, Critically ill, HIV/AIDS MISSION: To provide food and nourishment to improve the quality of life for the men, women and children they serves in the San Francisco and Alameda counties. FUNDRAISERS: Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival, Hand to Hand Luncheon, Dessert First, Plate to Plate (5k run) CELEBRITIES: Mayor Gavin Newsom COUNTERPART : Meals on Wheels CONTACT: 415-447-2416, openhand.org