A Loving Spoonful provides free nutritious meals and nutritional support to individuals and families affected by HIV and co-existing illnesses in the community. A Loving Spoonful has been providing good nutrition, love and hope to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS and other co-existing illnesses in Metro Vancouver for more than 30 years. A Loving Spoonful was founded in 1989 by the cou
rageous Easter Armas, who saw a friend, who had lost his job because he was HIV-positive, eating from a dumpster. From the determination of one woman and her tireless friends, A Loving Spoonful was born. It was the first meal program in Canada to provide free meals for people living with HIV/AIDS. As the spread of AIDS grew throughout Metro Vancouver and the surrounding areas, A Loving Spoonful grew – adapting program models and designing new food services to meet the very specific needs of this community. A Loving Spoonful now provides over 100,000 meals to men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Metro Vancouver. We succeed in meeting the differing needs of those in our community through a series of targeted meals programs. Each individual and family receiving service is screened for eligibility and nutritional risk, and a nutrition plan is provided based on this need through one (or more) of the following programs:
Daily Meals Program provides easy-to-reheat, home-delivered meals and snacks seven days a week to people who are primarily home-bound with AIDS. The Family Pantry provides produce, dry goods and canned protein to individual families not capable of sourcing their own meals. For many of our immigrant families the frozen meals are not palatable and trying to heat 5 or 6 meals in a microwave is not conducive to quality family time. Supervised Meals Distribution Working with other agencies in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, we are able to offer daily, supervised meals provision to those living with AIDS whose living environment is not stable enough for them to store or reheat our meals safely. Emergency Service provides FULL nutrition (3 meals per day plus snacks) for those who have just been released from the hospital and/or have an acute medical condition that leaves them housebound and in need of complete nutrition care. Ensure Program involves short-term provision of high-protein meal supplements, in conjunction with our other programs, to assist with nutrition absorption and weight-gain in those who present an elevated nutritional risk. Easter’s Sundays A one day per month catered hot meal service open to all individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. This lunch is in honour of the agency’s founder, Easter Armas, and utilizes approx 4 volunteers. 50 clients access meals each month via this service. Prenatal Program A Loving Spoonful launched this program in 2010 due to the increased number of pregnant women applying for service. This services provides groceries or frozen meals to pregnant mothers dependant on the number of family members during and after pregnancy. Pregnant women are also given additional attention by our Dietitian throughout the pregnancy to help ensure a healthy mother, child and family. A Loving Spoonful’s purpose has always been to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS by providing proper nutrition support. In order for medications to be effective food is of utmost importance and it is our belief as a society that by meeting this basic human need, we allow our clients to focus on the other challenges this disease poses. A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan organization with the ongoing goal to ensure that every individual living with HIV/AIDS in our community has the adequate nutrition required to give them a fighting chance at life. A Loving Spoonful
1449 Powell Street
Vancouver, BC V5L 1G8
O 604.682.6325
[email protected]
www.alovingspoonful.org
