When a San Diego caregiver launched the local charity Mama’s Kitchen in 1990, her goal was to deliver healthy meals to the home-bound men who were fighting for their lives at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
One year later, Mama’s Kitchen launched Mama’s Day, a Mother’s Day weekend fundraiser where local chefs, catering companies and hotels hosted booths where they prepped and served unlimited food samples to ticket-buyers at the event.
Dessert samples at a Mama’s Day fundraiser for Mama’s Kitchen.
(Courtesy of Mama’s Kitchen)
Over the past 34 years, Mama’s Kitchen has delivered more than 11 million meals, and it has evolved as an organization to serve the community’s ever-changing needs. The Mama’s Day event has also adapted to changing times.
At 5:30 p.m. May 3, Mama’s Day fundraiser will return for its 33rd year. But this year it will leave its’ longtime home, the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, and move to a new location, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel. The event will also permanently shift away from Mother’s Day weekend — when most restaurants are so busy and short-staffed, they don’t have time to do charity events.
This year’s Mama’s Day will also be overseen by a new leader.
In January, Mama’s Kitchen CEO Alberto Cortés retired after 21 years in the job. Eva Matthews stepped into the CEO role in January. Before she joined Mama’s Kitchen, Matthews spent nearly 10 years as an administrator and grants director for Family Health Centers of San Diego.
“Without an event like Mama’s Day, and the support the community gives it, more San Diegans battling HIV, cancer and other critical illnesses would experience malnutrition,” Matthews said, in a statement. “The proceeds from this event are essential to our ability to deliver medically tailored meals to those who need it most. It’s just a nice bonus that we get to indulge in such amazing food while raising the funds we need to continue our mission as the region’s largest provider of delivered meals.”
In its first decade, Mama’s Day fundraising was dedicated to serving HIV and AIDS patients. But by 2006, when improved drug regimens dramatically reduced AIDS deaths nationwide, the Mama’s Kitchen board voted to expand the organization’s mission to include cancer patients. In recent years, delivery has expanded to provide meals to any minor children living with clients, as well as adults with heart disease, diabetes and other debilitating conditions.
During the first two months of the pandemic in 2020, the number of clients Mama’s Kitchen served unexpectedly skyrocketed nearly 70 percent because elderly and immune-compromised people couldn’t risk exposure to COVID-19 by leaving their homes.
Nason’s Beer Hall serves drinks at a past Mama’s Day fundraiser.
(Courtesy of Mama’s Kitchen )
The need for service had never been greater. But at the same time, the restaurant industry that provided the food and workers for Mama’s Day was devastated. Extended lockdowns led to steep losses, and when restaurant finally reopened, they battled labor shortages and dramatically inflated food costs.
Mama’s Day was not presented in 2020, and in 2021 it was presented only as a virtual fundraiser that raised about $32,000.
When it returned as a live event in 2022, just 12 restaurants could afford to participate, compared to an average of 60 pre-pandemic. So, to make the event more of a draw, Mama’s Kitchen reimagined the event as a more intimate experience that was less focused on food.
Last year, with about 20 participating restaurants, Mama’s Day raised $132,390, which helped Mama’s Kitchen provide and additional 61,084 meals.
This year’s goal is to raise $140,000, which will fund an additional 50,000 meals. Among the restaurants that have committed to participate this year are The Plot, The Cottage, Piatti, Sally’s Fish House and Snooze. Besides food booths there will be live entertainment by local artists, pop-up booths from retailers, a silent auction and a photo booth.
33rd Mama’s Day benefiting Mama’s Kitchen
When: 5:30-9:30 p.m. May 3 (food service begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Where: Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd., San Diego
Tickets: $175, general; $275, VIP (includes entry to cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m.)
Online: mamaskitchen.org