Today is Corporate Philanthropy Day

Today, February 28th, is International Corporate Philanthropy Day! This is a day dedicated to increasing awareness of corporate philanthropy and to encourage more corporations to take part in charitable giving and volunteerism. 

Here at Moveable Feast, most of our corporate giving comes through Ride For The Feast - check out the latest RFTF blog post on our corporate sponsors!

We've recently partnered with Kathryn's Kloset, an organization that "acts as a conduit for corporate gift-in-kind donations by connecting multiple corporate partners with organizations serving those most in need in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic states." In particular, Kathryn's Kloset collects items from corporations and then distributes them to dozens of charities in Maryland and the surrounding states.

We just received our first batch of items in February! Moveable Feast received laundry detergent, Clorox wipes, ear muffs, and more. 

Kathryn's Kloset is always looking for more partner organizations - click here if you know of an organization that could benefit!

Green Thumb Memories

The Moveable Feast Garden Program is now in its second year, and we're actively looking for volunteers! An easy way to get started at home is by growing a starter plant. Once your plant is big enough, it will be transplanted into our gardens to help feed our clients!

Dietitian Sara transplanting basil into pots. (April 2010)

There are many different fruits and vegetables that you could grow. A full list can be found here.



Italian basil plant, to be used by Chef Damon in cooking meals! (April 2010)

Our team of dietitians will help you with any questions you have about getting supplies, planting seeds, tending to your plant, and more.



Baby strawberry fruit, still growing! (April 2010)

 Check out the Garden Volunteer section on our website if you're interested!

Cool Diagnosis News Out of India

Well, this is pretty swell! As we all know, HIV/AIDS is a hugely international issue. Thirty years ago, we only witnessed the onset of HIV as it was contracted in adults. But now we have seen actual generations born with the disease, such as Hydeia Broadbent, whom we wrote about on Tuesday.

In India, there has been a huge breakthrough in the diagnostic tools for HIV in infants and children.

When an infant is born with HIV, the World Health Organization recommends antiretroviral treatment regardless of CD4 count or disease stage. Without this treatment, there is a 53% chance that the infant will die before the age of two.

In the past, it's often been difficult to diagnose HIV in infants without doing a DNA test. The mother's antibodies remain in the infant's body for around 18 months after birth, skewing the HIV test results.

A large study undertaken by India's National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has found a great new method to diagnose HIV effectively in infants and children. It is called a high-end polymerase chain reaction and was used successfully on over 9,000 children in its pilot study.

The old method required a large liquid blood sample, that had to be stored in a refrigerated setting. This method was costly and cumbersome in India, especially for testing children that lived in remote areas of India.

The new test only requires a small sample of dried blood. This can be transported over many miles without becoming degraded or tainted. 

This allows infants to be diagnosed earlier, allowing them quicker access to life-saving medicine. Receiving this treatment early will give the child a better chance of surviving into adulthood and living a long life. 

Great news! We love it when there are breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS research.

This Sunday: RFTF Chili Cook-Off!

Calling all Moveable Feast supporters!

Join us this Sunday, February 27th at the Moveable Feast kitchens for a spicy, snappy afternoon of chili tasting - at the RFTF Chili Cook-Off 2011! 

5 Ride For The Feast teams will be competing with their most unique chili recipes. The main prize will be awarded by a judging panel featuring such notable Baltimore celebrities as:

• Dara Bunjon, food blogger for the Baltimore Examiner and owner of Dara Does It: Creative Solutions for the Food Industry
• Thomas Rudis, owner and top chef of Hampden's Golden West Cafe
• Keith Bridgeman, one of Baltimore's finest firemen, thereby an expert on chili
• and Brandon Stanley, Moveable Feast's very own kitchen crew member.

The event will also feature a raffle of a gigantic gift basket, donated by Manager Maurice Lamarche of The Fresh Market in Pikesville.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Tickets will be $15 at the door. Kids twelve and under are free. Raffle tickets sold for $5 at the door and $7 inside.

"I am the future and I have AIDS."

Have you ever heard of Hydeia Broadbent?

She was born in 1984. Her mother was an addict. And she also was HIV-positive.

Hydeia inherited HIV from her mother in utero, at a time when the general consensus about HIV was that it was transmitted by risky sexual behaviors or tainted needles.

Hydeia was the first of a generation of babies in the 1980s to be born and grow up with HIV. (By the way, on Thursday, read about a new breakthrough in HIV testing for infants and children!) She was a test baby for pediatric HIV medicines. Her survival, along with the survival of thousands of other HIV+ infants, demonstrated that with the proper treatment, HIV doesn't have to be a death sentence.

Today, Hydeia is an HIV/AIDS activist, working to support young women who have the disease. Her mission is to "show the world that HIV can happen to anyone."

Today is President's Day

In honor of the occasion, let's look at how HIV/AIDS funding factors in to President Obama's budget for the fiscal year 2012. 

• Maintain or increase current level of funding for HHS, HUD, VA, and DOJ
• Increase funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $88 million
• Increase funding for AIDS Drug Assistance Program by $80 million
• Use $60 million for a supplemental grants program that will help State Drug Assistance Programs with waiting lists or restrictive cost-containment measures, like we blogged about in December
• Increase funding for HIV prevention measures at the CDC by $58 million
• Increase funding for school health programming at the National Center for HIV, STD, Viral Hepatitis and TB Prevention
• Increase funding for domestic HIV/AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health ($70 million) and at the VA ($173 million)

All information taken from the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) Blog.

Garden to Save Lives

Each week, our dietitians - Jinee, Sara, and Betty bring you the Weekly Health Tip that you so love!

Now, here is your opportunity to help Moveable Feast and our dietitans out - by participating in our easy Garden Program. 

Check out the video below:

Growing a starter plant is easy and cheap to do at home, and will create a plant that will grow in our gardens for an entire season! Your plant will help us to feed our clients living with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and now blood cancers. 

For more information and to get started, please visit the Garden Volunteer section of our website. 

Divapalooza Tickets Now On Sale!

SAVE THE DATE: DIVAPALOOZA WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 1st & 2nd, 2011!



is this Rhoda from The Bad Seed (1956)? we think so.

What IS Divapalooza? Divapalooza is an invitation-only annual charity event presented by a group of friends who want to give back to the community and make it fun. The Divas and Divos, using their "self-proclaimed" talents, provide a hilarious and entertaining evening, of which all proceeds are donated to a charity. Last year, over $57,000 was raised for Moveable Feast, bringing their 3-year grand total to over $100,000!

Tickets go on sale today at 12pm. The only way to order tickets is by sending an email to sam@divapalooza.com. 

Ticket prices? 

• $100.00 for premium seating
• $1275 for a reserved table of seventeen ($75 each)
• $75.00 each for one of six "Church Pew" seats (back wall - center aisle)
• $50.00 for general admission
• Premium, Reserved and Church Pew seats are extremely limited.

For more info about Divapalooza 2011 and to sign up for their newsletter, please visit www.Divapalooza.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today we'd like to share this video of one of our clients, Judith, documented by one of our partner agencies, HopeSprings.

Judith talks about what a difference Moveable Feast has made in her life - and not just by regularly delivering nutritious meals to her doorstep. It's stories like Judith's that remind us about the emotional impact of our services. Judith talks about the unconditional love that Moveable Feast has shown her over the years by simply always being there for her, without fail. It's a great story and we encourage all readers to take a look at the video.

Happy Valentine's Day from Moveable Feast!

There Goes My Hero...Bourbon!

In December 2010, we began providing meals to people living with blood cancers, through the There Goes My Hero foundation. There Goes My Hero provides hope and nourishment to leukemia patients and their families.

How did this partnership begin? Well, in the late spring and early summer of 2010, Erik Sauer, the founder and executive director of There Goes My Hero, approached Tom with his vision of feeding people with leukemia. After some discussion and planning, and with the financial support of TGMH, we embarked on a pilot program. This pilot program was comprised of There Goes My Hero, Moveable Feast, and the Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.

Organizationally, the Kimmel Center will identify patients and families in need of nutritional support during their difficult times. Moveable Feast will provide the meals, funded by There Goes My Hero.

Currently, we feed 6 patients with blood cancers - more than halfway to our initial goal of feeding 10 people!

Help us to meet that goal faster by attending one of There Goes My Hero's fundraisers - a classy and fabulous bourbon tasting at Silo Point's 19th floor Sky Lounge. The event will take place next Thursday, February 17th from 6-9PM. Check out the flier below:

click to enlarge

Get Your Annual Mammogram

Remember back in 2009 when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) came out with those controversial new guidelines for getting yearly mammograms? For women in their 40s, they recommended against getting mammograms at all. And for women in their 50s, they recommended a biennial (once every 2 years) mammogram. The idea was that this would save women a lot of worry and hassle over most likely harmless lumps.

Well, researchers at UColorado and UMichigan have found something different. They found that annual mammograms starting at age 40 save 65,000 more women than if mammograms had been done every other year starting at age 50. 

In fact, annual mammograms starting at age 40 reduce mortality risk by 73%!

Sometimes the results of research can be scary. When the task force came out with their recommendations, many people didn't know who to listen to. Here at Moveable Feast, we recommend that you get your annual mammogram - it's better to be safe than sorry!

Reader Photo: Waterstone Bar and Grille

There are just a few days left to participate in our "Let's Dish! & Dine Out" Giftcard Giveaway. Remember, submit a photo of your meal from a Dining Out For Life restaurant, or your favorite recipe, to esze@mfeast.org!

These photos were sent in by Cinthea Thurman, who dined at Waterstone Bar and Grille. She enjoyed the lamb chops and veal shank. Cinthea's photos have been entered in the drawing to win a $25 giftcard to Let's Dish!



Yum!





The presentation was great.

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Today, February 7th, is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. We encourage all readers and supporters to visit the Black AIDS Day website and participate in testing, education, and outreach events today.

 

Why is this day so important? African Americans are disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS, far more so than any other race/ethnic group - in statistics such as access to treatment, new infection rates, mortality, and prevention.

• African Americans represent 13% of the general U.S. population...but 46% of the Americans living with HIV/AIDS are black. 
• Rates of new HIV/AIDS infection are far higher for black men and black women (see graph).
  
• 1 in 16 black men will be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in their lifetime.
• 1 in 30 black women will be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in their lifetime. 
• HIV is the 9th leading cause of death for all black people.
• HIV is the 3rd leading cause of death for middle-aged black people (35-44 y/o). 

Source: Center for Disease Control

 

HIV/AIDS impacts the African American population to a greater extent than to other racial or ethnic groups. African Americans experience higher rates of risk factors that can contribute to HIV infection, including:

• Poverty
• Limited Access to Healthcare
• Little HIV Education
• Lower Levels of HIV Awareness
• Stigma
• Higher Rates of STD Infection
• Injectable Drug Use
• Risky Sexual Habits

Here at Moveable Feast, over 90% of our clients are African American - we see these statistics on a firsthand basis. It's important to get tested regularly, seek treatment if necessary, and be proactive in one's community to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Reader Photo: Minato Sushi

Thinking of eating out this weekend? If you dine out at a 2010 Dining Out For Life restaurant, snap a picture of your food to be entered in our giftcard giveaway! 

This photo comes from one of our dietitians, Jinee, while eating out at Minato Sushi Bar. Jinee has been entered to win a $25 Let's Dish! giftcard.

Looks tasty!

The 2010 DOFL restaurants included: 13.5% Wine Bar, A Bolton Hill Bistro - 'b', B & O American Brasserie, The Brewer's Art, Alexander's Tavern, Alonso's/Loco Hombre, Ambassador Dining Room, Blue Agave, Bonjour Bakery/Cafe, Cafe Gia, Cafe Hon, Chameleon Cafe, City Cafe, Clementine, The Dizz, The Dizz Grandview, Gertrude's at the BMA, The Greene Turtle (Fells Point), Iggie's, Indigma, Jack's Bistro, Joe Squared, Koco's Pub, Laurrapin Grille, Linwoods, Luna Blu, Marie Louise Bistro, Mia Carolina, Miguel's Cocina and Cantina, Minato Sushi Bar, Mt. Vernon Stable & Saloon, Mt. Washington Tavern, One World Cafe, Pazza Luna, Petit Louis, Regi's American Bistro, The Rumor Mill Fusion Bar and Restaurant, Rustico Restaurant and Wine Bar, Sascha's 527 Cafe, Singer's, Sotto Sopra, Teavolve Cafe and Lounge, Todd Conner's, Village Square Cafe, Waterstone Bar and Grille, Woodberry Kitchen, Yellow Dog Tavern

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - Feb. 7th

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was founded by organizations springing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1999, and has evolved into an eleven-year movement. 

Held on February 7th of each year, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is geared toward education, testing/treatment, and community involvemnt of African Americans.

There are events taking place all over the state of Maryland on Monday. In Baltimore alone, there will be a candlelight vigil, a community forum, a radio broadcast, and HIV testing stations.

How does this relate to Moveable Feast? As a social service agency, more than 90% of our clients served -including clients of our community partner programs clients - are African American. So we relate deeply to this important day each year. 

Check back on February 7th for another post about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!

Weekly Health Tip: Apples for the Wintertime

Winter is a good time for apples, which are now available in many varieties depending on your source. While perhaps our best known American fruit, we should appreciate their nutrient value. 

Whole apples with skin can help regulate blood sugar through various mechanisms. 

Although apples are not particularly high in fiber, it appears that the soluble fiber pectin may interact with other apple nutrients to help lower blood lipids to an extent associated with higher fiber content.  Scientists are not sure what particular combination of phytonutrients is behind this effect. The benefits are found in whole apples---not apple juice or apple sauce. 

Apples also support digestion by nourishing healthy gut flora---the good "bugs" in our gut. 

The ultimate "fast food," apples can be sliced and eaten with peanut butter for a quick, healthy, phytonutrient- and protein-rich snack.