San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders delivered meal number five million for Mama’s Kitchen on Wednesday, July 15. The local nonprofit organization provides meals to San Diegans affected by critical illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer.

“This is an incredible achievement for an organization that has provided hope and nutrition for the thousands of people in San Diego,” said Mayor Sanders. “Mama’s Kitchen has made a real difference in our community, and the need for their services continues to grow.”

Sanders delivered the meal – barbequed chicken breast, baked beans and cut corn – to a client in South Park.

“We’re honored that Mayor Sanders will be able to join us to celebrate this incredible milestone for our organization and our community,” said Alberto Cortés, executive director for Mama’s Kitchen. “Mayor Sanders has been very supportive of Mama’s Kitchen and his support has helped to make this milestone possible.”

The significance of meal number five million is to acknowledge how much the organization has grown since its inception in 1990, Mama’s Kitchen Director of Development Russ Hayes said.

In 1999, Mama’s Kitchen surpassed one million meals delivered. Eight years later, in 2007, the organization reached meal number four million.

Hayes said the event is also a “milestone” of sorts given the recession.

“We really have kept our commitment to our clients, despite the difficult times that everyone is going through.”

The organization faced a number of challenges even before the economic downturn.

For instance, Hayes said that the cost of food has increased by 25 percent since 2006. At the same time, Mama’s Kitchen has also experienced an increase in people contacting the organization for services.

Those challenges became more pronounced this year.

As of last May, Mama’s Kitchen had a $230,000 deficit. The organization would not give its current deficit amount for this story.

“We have restructured the organization by, among other things, reducing the workforce, implementing salary reductions and increasing our [requests] for donated services,” Cortés said.

In addition to staff and salary cuts, the organization has implemented cost-cutting measures to its services.

Last year Mama’s Kitchen reduced its meal delivery from five to three days a week.

“The price of gas got so expensive last summer. It was just getting out of hand,” Hayes said.

But clients still need their daily meals.

Hayes said that now when Mama’s Kitchen delivers it does so by bringing enough meals to cover the client for two days, or until its next delivery.

The organization also provides a free microwave to clients without one, to ensure that they have a way to heat their meals, Hayes said.

Donations to the organization have been decreasing, but that hasn’t kept Hayes from staying optimistic.

“They’ve been decreasing, but our donors have been very loyal to us, despite the tough times,” he said. “People are still giving to us, and that is powerful.”

Half of Mama’s Kitchen’s donations come from individuals.

“And that means a lot of $5, $25, $100 checks,” Russ said.

Currently, approximately 370 clients are on Mama’s Kitchen’s meal delivery roster. Volunteer Bobbi Harwood delivers meals to many of those clients.

“The food we are able to provide to our clients is critical to their overall quality of life and health,” Harwood said.

Mama’s Kitchen was founded when volunteers from the AIDS Assistance Fund, a food bank for people with AIDS, discovered that many of its clients were becoming too ill to take care of themselves.

Cortés says that the organization especially needs donations of funds, canned food and volunteer time during the summer. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact the organization at 619-233-6262, or visit www.mamaskitchen.org.