More than 70 restaurants will unite to offer an evening of incredible tastes when Mama’s Kitchen holds its 17th annual Mama’s Day event on Friday, May 9.

Mama’s Day is an important fund-raiser for the non-profit organization that provides free nutritious meal delivery to hundreds of clients living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses throughout San Diego County.

Presented by Sycuan Resort & Casino, Mama’s Day is the organization’s signature fund-raising event to raise awareness for the organization that makes a measurable difference in the lives of so many local residents each day. Hundreds of guests will sample fare from 70 of San Diego’s hottest restaurants, including recently opened Red Marlin, Jade Theater and Blanca. Many local favorites return, including Rice, Extraordinary Desserts, and Café Japango. Guests will also enjoy fabulous desserts, cocktails and music by DJ Tim Altbaum.

Mama’s Kitchen relies on funding and donations from private foundations and individuals, which makes Mama’s Day a critical event for the organization.

“Nearly 10 percent of our annual budget comes from this event,” said Alberto Cortes, the organization’s executive director. “With our recent expansion of our mission to serve clients who have critical illnesses in addition to those who are affected by AIDS/HIV, this is a crucial night for us.”

This year, Mama’s Kitchen expects to lose an additional five percent of their federal funding from the Ryan White CARE Act. It’s a trend many organizations like Mama’s Kitchen across the United States will experience. With the elimination of this funding, many individuals suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses will be unable to receive the food and personal care products they need to stay alive and healthy. “Nutrition is critical to managing illness, reducing its complications, extending quality years of life and ultimately reducing healthcare expenses,” Cortes said. “We provide one year of home delivered meals to a client for less than four nights in the hospital.”

Tickets for the 17th annual Mama’s Day event are $125 each and are for purchase by calling 619-233-6262 or by visiting www.mamaskitchen.org.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center recently announced the formation of The Center Advocacy Project, Inc., a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which aims to actively and consistently engage in lobbying and campaigning on the core social issues that affect the GLBT community.

The organization was formed in response to community members’ concerns that more needs to be done to advocate for the rights of GLBT individuals and families. The project will work on issues related to school safety, marriage equality, lifting the ban on GLBT members in the armed forces and others.

Community members are able to get involved in a number of ways, from donating to volunteering. The project has launched a Web site with information about getting involved and the issues it plans to work on at www.centeradvocacy.org.

For more information about The Center Advocacy Project, Inc., contact Delores Jacobs at djacobs@centeradvocacy.org or at 619-692-2077, ext. 215.

The Hillcrest Youth Center (HYC) will hold its annual event for GLBTQ youth ages 14-20, The Other Prom, on June 21 from 6-9 p.m. at The Center.

This year’s theme is Hollywood Nights and the HYC invites community members to “become famous” by purchasing a star on the event’s “Walk of Fame.” Each star will be made by a youth on the HYC Prom Committee and put on display at the HYC and The Other Prom.

Donations for stars range from $10-$100, depending on the size of star selected. Visit www.youthcentersd.org for more information.

Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) named San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman the 76th Assembly District’s Woman of the Year.

“Chief Jarman’s accomplishments serve as inspiration for other young women and girls considering occupations that have been historically occupied by men,” Saldaña said.

In 2006, after 23 years with the San Diego Fire Department, Jarman was appointed fire chief. Since joining the fire department in 1984, Chief Jarman has served in a variety of positions. In 2003, she became assistant fire chief, which placed her in charge of support service areas for all fire, emergency medical and lifeguard services within San Diego. Prior to her appointment as assistant fire chief, she served as deputy chief overseeing the fire and emergency medical services 9-1-1 center for five years.

When she assumed the role as fire chief in fall 2006, Jarman became the first female fire chief in the history of San Diego. She is one of only a dozen other women fire chiefs in the country.

On Friday, April 4, Sen. Christine Kehoe joined Elva Lima, Verizon’s vice president of strategic programs, Syrus Devers, director of government affairs, and Asia Powell, manager of strategic programs, to present The Center with a $25,000 check to help fund the Relationship Violence Treatment and Intervention Program at Behavioral Health Services.

“Verizon is proud to join with The Center to reach out to victims of domestic violence,” Lima said. “This program will make a real difference in helping to break the cycle of violence and will provide resources to help victims rise above their circumstances and make better lives for themselves.”

“We are delighted by Verizon’s generosity and thank Sen. Kehoe for introducing them to The Center and the work that we do,” said The Center’s CEO Delores A. Jacobs. “Domestic violence in the LGBT community is too often overlooked. Verizon’s commitment to preventing and treating domestic violence shows a deep concern about serious issues facing the LGBT community and a willingness to take action to help.”

For more information on The Center’s Relationship Violence Treatment and Intervention Program, contact Amanda Quayle at 619-260-6380, ext. 131 or aquayle@thecentersd.org.

More than 35-million Americans are either hungry or at risk of hunger. Postal customers can join the National Association of Letter Carriers, Campbell Soup Company and America’s Second Harvest – the nation’s food bank network – to help stamp out hunger by participating in the 16th Annual Stamp Out Hunger! food drive.

To participate, postal customers may leave a bag of nonperishable food items next to their mailboxes before mail delivery on Saturday, May 10. Letter carriers will take care of the rest. Donations may also be dropped off at post office locations that have Saturday business hours. For more information, contact Mike Cannone at mike.cannone@usps.gov.

KPBS San Diego will broadcast Anyone and Everyone on Saturday, May 3, at 8 p.m.

The documentary, by local filmmaker Susan Polis-Schutz, features diverse American families and the experiences they go through when GLBT children come out.

Polis-Schulz and two of the families featured in the film will join pledge-hosts in the studio to discuss the making of the film and to help raise money for KPBS broadcasting.

They will also share their views on what it’s like to go through the coming out process with a loved one.

KPBS is asking the community to support the documentary and television station by tuning in as it broadcasts the film as a first-time pledge show.

Check local listings to locate the KPBS channel on your cable provider.

For more information, visit www.kpbs.org.

“Little” Ray Portillos-Leon and “Big” Mike Phillips of the Imperial Court de San Diego recently announced the beginning of the Pass It Forward Campaign. The fund-raising effort encourages members of the community to donate $10 to the Imperial Court de San Diego, and then ask 10 friends to donate $10, who will continue to “pass it forward.”

The Imperial Court de San Diego has reached out to and donated countless dollars to community members in need for more than three decades. Funds raised from this campaign will continue to support the many services provided by the organization.

A kick-off event for the Pass It Forward Campaign is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, from 1-4 p.m. at the home Benjamin F. Dillingham III. It is suggested guests make a $10 donation at the door.

For more information or directions to the event, contact Phillips at bm575@aol.com or Portillos-Leon at rportillos@gmail.com or 619-962-2882.