On Thursday, Aug. 26, Mama’s Kitchen hosted their ninth annual wine tasting event, titled “Bourbon and Blue Velvet”, at Bourbon Street. This year’s event drew close to 400 attendees and the preliminary numbers for the evening have the event raising $19,000, a $5,000 increase over last year. According to Edith Glassey, the director of development and communications for Mama’s Kitchen, this year’s fundraiser exceeded last year’s in every donation category and sold 125 more tickets than the event did in previous years.

This year’s event featured performances by the Blue Velvet Trio and a selection of wines donated by Southern Wine and Spirits. Hors d’oeuvres specially paired to accompany the wines were provided by Prego Ristorante, California Cuisine, Ono Sushi and The Abbey Café; desserts were provided by Twiggs Coffeehouse and Bakery.

As the wine tasting event continues to grow in popularity, it has become an even more important source of revenue for the meal delivery agency that has seen its government funding cut over the past two years.

“Identifying resources from non-governmental resources is more important now than ever and will continue to be a major challenge because Ryan White Funding – the trend with Ryan White Funding is using those dollars for health care and is moving towards less and less for social services programs like Mama’s Kitchen,” said Alberto Cortés, the executive director of Mama’s Kitchen, to the Gay & Lesbian Times.

In addition to the loss of Federal Ryan White Funding, the City of San Diego also cut their 85 percent social services funding this year, reducing Mama’s Kitchen’s $63,000 grant to $15,000.

“Corporate giving and foundation giving is down, so it’s another area that we need to look to make up for,” Cortés added. “That’s where events like this become critical. Events like the Bourbon Street Wine Tasting, events like Mama’s Day are going to be more critical for the continued support of the programs that we have and we continue to identify alternative funders and potential new funders who have never supported the kitchen before. It’s an ongoing challenge and we are happy to put together all of the resources to make that happen.”

Despite the budget cuts, Mama’s Kitchen has continued to expand its services, and in February of this year they took over Something Special Food Pantry, a volunteer AIDS organization that provided groceries to people living with HIV and AIDS. Renamed Mama’s Pantry, the service has been operating out of The Center and celebrated the grand opening of its permanent location in North Park at 4083 30th Street on Wednesday, Sept. 1. The pantry is an expansion of Mama’s Kitchen’s nutrition services in response to the “changing face of AIDS” in San Diego County.

“In recent times, new and improved medicines have become available which have given individuals with HIV and AIDS a much better quality of life,” said Cortés. “Our clients are now less likely to be homebound and are better able to take an active role in their own healthcare decisions.”

Mama’s Pantry has already provided more than 26,000 pounds of food to the HIV and AIDS community since opening in February. To help ease the transition for clients of Something Special, Mama’s Pantry is currently using the same procedures that Something Special Food Pantry employed in terms of shopping days, points and qualifications.

“I think Mama’s Pantry has done an incredible job of transitioning our clients and making sure that they get the utmost of care and respect,” said Kim Fritz, who chaired the board of Something Special Food Pantry prior to being taken over by Mama’s Kitchen. “I think they have done a great job and I am so thankful for them. To Alberto and his staff, all of them are wonderful.”

Prior to the takeover by Mama’s Kitchen, Something Special Food Pantry had fallen on hard times. With food donations down, they had to close the doors to their facility, at times leaving those they serve nowhere to turn for groceries.

But Fritz added, “Initially it was a little tough, but there’s food out, they are open more hours. They are actually expanding services so the feedback that we have gotten has been very positive.”

Mama’s Kitchen was founded in 1990 and is currently delivering three meals a day every day of the week to more than 300 men, women, and children affected by AIDS in San Diego County. Volunteers, who do the work of 20 full time employees each and every week, staff the organization.