2010: A Great Year for AIDS Research

Time Magazine created a series of rankings for the "top 10" in countless categories. Check out their list of the Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2010.

While the list encompasses items ranging from an innovative Alzheimer's test to the new changes in general CPR/AED skills, the #1 Medical Breakthrough of 2010 was...groundbreaking research into antiretroviral drugs and their role as potential AIDS vaccines. 

Multiple studies of high-risk populations conducted in 2010 found that taking antiretroviral drugs on a regular basis significantly decreased a person's chances of contracting HIV when exposed. 

In fact, the risk of contracting HIV was reduced by around 44%. 

And among people who took the drug on a daily basis, the risk of contracting HIV was reduced by a whopping 73%. 

This should not be mistaken for an anti-HIV vaccine, as the drugs must be taken persistently and regularly in order for their effects to take hold. But it is tremendous progress in the hunt for a vaccine. 

Incredible. We hope that 2011 will bring even more monumental AIDS/HIV research.

Baltimore CENTERSTAGE's Night Out

In one week, on January 4th, consider attending Baltimore CENTERSTAGE's Night Out. 

CENTERSTAGE is a popular Baltimore theater, often considered "a pioneer in America's regional theater movement." 

The first Tuesday of each month is CENTERSTAGE's Night Out. Join members of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered communities for a pre-show cocktail hour, featuring complimentary hors d'oeuvres—courtesy of Akbar—and select beverages. 

Bar tips always are donated to local charities, and on January 4th, they will be donated to Moveable Feast!

The show playing that evening is called "The Second City Does Baltimore," featuring Chicago-based comedians in the vein of Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert. They will be performing a "wild and wacky show in Baltimore, for Baltimore, and about Baltimore."

Admission is free to subscribers; $5 for non-subscribers with tickets to the performance. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Komen for Avastin

Last week, we wrote about the FDA's changed recommendation for using the injectable drug Avastin in treatment of breast cancer. 

Quite soon after the FDA released its new conclusions, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation sent out a very interesting letter to its supporters. We support Komen's stance. Below, some excerpts:

...We know that for some number of women, Avastin works and works well.  We are hearing from women who are gaining not just months, but years, with a high quality of life, from this treatment. This decision puts insurance coverage for Avastin for these women at serious risk, leaving them with no options. The entire Komen family must join together to speak with one voice as patient advocates on behalf of those women who do in fact benefit from its use.  We simply cannot leave them and their families with no recourse. And we don’t intend to.

...Our mission now is three-fold: to ensure that women have access to the drug, that insurance coverage for Avastin remains in place for women who are already benefitting, and encourage the development of biomarkers to determine who will benefit most effectively from the drug.

To those ends, Komen is asking the manufacturer to continue including Avastin in its patient access programs that provide drugs at low or no cost to individuals. We are also asking insurance companies and public payers to continue covering the drug for the women who are benefiting. And we are encouraging the manufacturer to step up biomarker research so the drug can be targeted to patients who will benefit.

We are advocating for these women because this is central to our promise – to deliver the cures, and to protect everyone in our Komen family...

5% Day at Whole Foods, Harbor East

We are still in need of VOLUNTEERS AFTER 5:00PM for this event to pass out fliers, greet customers, man our info/donations table, help bag groceries, and talk to people about the Moveable Feast mission. If you are interested in volunteering, even for just an hour, please contact Special Events Manager Amanda Fisher at afisher@mfeast.org! 

In 2011, we're ringing in the New Year with a great fundraiser for Moveable Feast! 

One of our Ride For The Feast 2011 sponsors, the Whole Foods Market in Harbor East (1001 Fleet Street) will be holding a 5% Day to benefit us on Wednesday, January 5th. 

All day, 5% of net sales will be donated to Moveable Feast. Moveable Feast staff and volunteers will also be present with a table to collect donations.

Please consider dropping by and doing your post-holiday grocery shopping on January 5th! 

We will also be collecting food donations. For guidelines on donating food, please see flier below. 

click to enlarge

Christmas Eve at Moveable Feast

Moveable Feast really went all out this year for the holidays!

Executive Chef Damon Hersh and kitchen staff prepared delicious Christmas dinners for our clients. They were delivered this morning by Beth El Congregation volunteers.

Over the past few weeks, we've also been collecting toys for our children on service. Donated toys have streamed in from all sources, ranging from a drive held by Meadowbrook Swim Club...to a drive coordinated by Glenda Rider in honor of former Moveable Feast Exec. Director Myers...to a drive organized by Wayne Jenkins and other members of the Greater Baltimore Church of Christ...to individual toy donations by our supporters and volunteers.

Volunteers have also been creating holiday decorations, wrapping presents, decorating food delivery bags, and writing cards. The efforts of more than a hundred volunteers have helped to make this holiday season very successful for Moveable Feast.

Some of the most notable donated toys included:

• Michael Phelps's book, "How To Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals"
• Star Wars "The Clone Wars" action figures
• Toys and craft tower
• Light-up Snoopy holiday decoration
• Wal-Mart gift cards
• "The Tale of Desperaux" and other children's books
• Winter hats and gloves
• Blankets
• North Face sweaters
• stuffed Christmas stockings
• Applebee's gift cards

Thanks to everyone who helped make this holiday special for Moveable Feast and our clients. Happy Holidays from Moveable Feast!

Delivering Nutrition That Saves Lives

On Monday, we wrote about the cutbacks in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Tens of thousands of low-income Americans with HIV/AIDS depend on this program to receive their proper medications and remain healthy. The cutbacks will prevent many from receiving drugs on a consistent basis.

While the importance of drugs can never be overstated, the nutritious meals of Moveable Feast do their part to help combat HIV and AIDS in Maryland.


A Person Living With AIDS has an undue amount of stress related to their condition. They must deal with huge medical bills (see: Costs of HIV Treatment) and other incidental costs. Their immune systems are often compromised, placing them at greater risk for opportunistic infections and hospitalizations. They suffer from uncomfortable and painful side effects from the treatment, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, aches/pain, constipation, and loss of appetite. They are at great risk for wasting syndrome, a severe loss in body mass.


Moveable Feast services help our clients cope with their condition - physically, mentally, and financially. Providing meals and groceries at no cost helps to defer some of the financial burden. It also relieves them of that extra task each day - finding breakfast, lunch, and dinner isn't always so simple, especially for one who is weakened by HIV/AIDS. And nutritious meals, tailored to a client's dietary needs, reduce the chance that the client will develop wasting syndrome or fall into an unhealthy body weight.


With these cutbacks in ADAP and the FDA's new uncertainty about the Avastin drug, Moveable Feast's stalwart dependability has never been so important to our clients.