A Loving Spoonful
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A Loving Spoonful (previously known as the Vancouver Meals Society) is a
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
-based
charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...
that provides free meals to people living with
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
/
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
(PWHAs) in the
Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and Corporation, corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as o ...
area. Volunteers deliver approximately 1200 frozen meals and 1200 snack packs each week at an average meal cost of $3.50. In 1998 A Loving Spoonful was named as "the most efficient meal program service" in the region. The charity's motto is "No One Living With AIDS Should Live With Hunger."


Mandate

Services are offered to PWHAs who have been referred by their doctor because of severe weight loss or recent hospitalization, or because they are primarily homebound. The meals, which are prepared under the guidance of a nutritionist who specializes in HIV/AIDS, are frozen in individual portions and delivered to clients weekly.


History

In November 1989 a group of volunteers, recognizing the nutritional needs of people living with AIDS, began providing monthly meals at McLaren House, a group home for PWHAs. The event was named "Easter's Sundays" after Easter Armas-Mikulik, the woman who started the program. Due to high demand, and to the need to support PWHAs who were homebound, Armas-Mikulik created the Vancouver Meals Society (VMS), which ultimately became A Loving Spoonful. Following a needs assessment and the creation of a long-term budget in 1990, as well as study of established meal delivery programs in other major cities like
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, A Loving Spoonful began providing weekly delivery of meals in 1991.


Budget and fundraising

The charity's current operating budget is $630,000, which is raised via donations, bequests, fund-raisers, and government grants. A minimum of eighty percent of the money received is used to cover program expenses. Each year A Loving Spoonful and the Vancouver Friends for Life Society are the focus of an event called Dining Out For Life. Participating restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds on the day of the event, and diners are encouraged to make cash donations to volunteers, and are eligible for donated prizes.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loving Spoonful, A Health charities in Canada HIV/AIDS organizations in Canada