God’s Love- Delivering Nutritious Meals to Those in Need

Thirty-two years ago, a hospice volunteer named Ganga Stone visited an AIDS patient, Richard Sayles. She found him too ill to cook for himself. Ganga’s compassion took hold, a meal was prepared and delivered, and Ganga realized that something as basic as delivering a meal could bring dignity and recognition to a desperate situation.

The severity of Richard’s situation demanded something more than simply delivering food. It required preparing nutritionally-tailored meals that would support an individual’s specific medical treatment. On her way again, with a new meal in hand, she was stopped by a minister in the neighborhood. Upon learning about the work Stone was doing, he told her “you’re not just delivering food … you’re delivering God’s love.”

Ganga said, “That’s the name.” From this humble beginning Ganga Stone, along with Jane Best, created God’s Love We Deliver.

A nonsectarian organization, God’s Love We Deliver was initially founded in 1985 as an urgent response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in NYC. In 2000, God’s Love expanded its services to include people living with other serious, life-altering illnesses. With a mission to improve the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses, God’s Love prepares and delivers nutritious, high-quality meals to people unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. In addition to meal delivery—God’s Love also provides illness-specific nutrition education and counseling free of charge.

DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS has been a longtime supporter of God’s Love We Deliver’s mission. God’s Love was the first organization to be awarded a grant from DIFFA. In the past year, with strong community support from organizations like DIFFA, God’s Love cooked and home-delivered 1.6 million meals to 6,803 clients—including  1,333 clients living with HIV/AIDS.

“DIFFA’s longtime support has been an important part of our 32-year history of nourishing those in the New York City metropolitan area who are too sick to shop and cook for themselves,” shared David Ludwigson, Vice President & Chief Development Officer of God’s Love We Deliver. “Their incredible support has allowed us to expand our program activities and achieve our results with the conviction that we can continue to make a difference in this ongoing epidemic. Together, we can continue to meet the complex nutritional needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.”

Support from DIFFA has helped God’s Love fill the difference between mere survival and rekindled hope for clients like William who need compassionate care.

“God’s Love, for me, has been a support system,” William says. “I’m not overwhelmed anymore. I’m not scared. When you speak with anyone at God’s Love, you know you are speaking with People who work unceasingly for your health.”

In 2017, DIFFA awarded a total of $331,500 in grants to 31 organizations nationwide, including God’s Love We Deliver. Learn more about their unique program of medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling by visiting www.glwd.org.