COVID-19 Update: THLA Gives Back
As COVID-19 continues to spread in our communities, it is essential we all make our best effort to provide support and assistance to those in need. The LGBTQ+ community is especially at risk to COVID-19 due to social, health and economic inequities. Together we can all help ease the burden on those facing severe hardship amid this growing pandemic. For its part, THLA has selected three community-based organizations to receive a collective $4,500 donation: The San Diego LGBTQ+ Community Center, Mama’s Kitchen, and Being Alive San Diego.
The San Diego LGBTQ+ Community Center enhances and sustains the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. As The Center has shifted its focus to providing emergency services during this COVID-19 outbreak, they’ve established a Center Emergency Fund to support those efforts and overcome the financial impact of postponing Dining Out For Life® San Diego and the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, two of its primary fundraising events.
For more information about how to donate to The Center, go to: https://thecentersd.org/giving/.
Mama’s Kitchen prepares and delivers nutritious meals for our neighbors struggling with AIDS or cancer who are too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Together with hundreds of volunteers, businesses, and community supporters, Mama’s Kitchen strives to help their clients stay healthy, preserve their dignity, and keep their families together by providing free, culturally appropriate home-delivered meals, along with pantry services and nutrition education. Throughout the rise of COVID-19, Mama’s Kitchen has seen an increase in demand for services and is delivering more meals than ever.
To learn more about Mama’s Kitchen and how to help, visit: https://www.mamaskitchen.org/.
Being Alive San Diego seeks to deliver quality compassionate services to people affected by HIV/AIDS and to provide education and referral services to those in need. In the past 12 months, Being Alive San Diego has secured 595 insurance program enrollments to ensure medical care for low income HIV+, provided 2604 households with free groceries, and moved 159 households to safe, affordable housing, prior to eviction or and/or becoming homeless. Despite restrictions on in-person meetings, Being Alive San Diego continues to provide essential services to vulnerable populations throughout San Diego.
For more information about Being Alive San Diego, go to: http://beingalivesd.com/.
THLA extends its deepest gratitude to The San Diego LGBTQ+ Community Center, Mama’s Kitchen, and Being Alive San Diego for continuing to provide critical assistance to LGBTQ+ San Diegans throughout the pandemic. We encourage our members to check out these organizations and others to find ways to give back. Whether you choose to donate, volunteer your time, or simply heed the advice of local and state officials, there are countless ways to join the fight against COVID-19. We are all in this together!