2013 ANNUAL REPORT FOOD IS HOPE. FOOD IS LOVE. FOOD IS MEDICINE. DEAR FRIENDS, uring our fiscal year 2013, the volunteers and staff We also finalized our plans this year to complete the transition from at God’s Love achieved astounding results for our a hot/frozen model to a chilled/frozen model. This change makes Dcommunity, delivering 1.2 million meals to 5,000 it easier for our clients to decide what they want to eat and when people – often in the face of extraordinary challenges. they want to eat it…a measure of control they told us they value. In October, Hurricane Sandy struck New York City, and our In Brooklyn, we found a location for our operations during the SoHo building lost power. Immediately following the storm, staff next phase of our Expansion Campaign. By the time you read this, and volunteers responded quickly, distributing more than 8,000 our move to Brooklyn will be complete, with no service disruptions meals to clients and other evacuees. Many of our clients were to our vulnerable clients who count on our meals every day. We without power. We assembled more than 2,300 nonperishable would also like to offer a special note of recognition to Michael meal kits, and delivered these throughout the five boroughs. Kors for his remarkable $5 million gift to our Expansion Campaign, and for joining our board. Throughout the year we continued to implement innovations to our programs. Our Nutrition Department published a new booklet, Of course, our work would not be possible without your “Nutrition Tips for Caregivers,” providing helpful strategies to extraordinary support. This year so many of you came forward make mealtime enjoyable for caregivers and their to help. In October, we honored Michael Kors, Ryan Murphy, loved ones. We also formed new partnerships with and Cindy Little at our Golden Heart Awards celebration, which the Battery Urban Farm and the Tribeca CSA. raised more money than any event in our history. As well, our These partners donate fresh, organic produce for Race to Deliver celebrated its 19th year! clients of our grocery bag program – those who are feeling better and are able to cook, but who Thank you so much for another year of helping God’s Love bring still need nutritional support. nutritious meals – and hope – to those who urgently need us most. Sincerely, Karen Pearl Scott Bruckner Sylvia Vogelman President & CEO Chairman of the Board Board Co-Chair Clients by Diagnosis Clients by Diagnosis Clients by Geographic Dist RACIAL/ETHNIC DISTRIbutION DIagNOSIS Clients by Geographic Dist 4% 8% Pulmonary Disease FOUNDING Others 12% 22% 8% Hispanic 10% Alzheimer’s/ Multi/ MS 18% Neurological Unreported 29% RINCIPLES White/ Cancer Disorders P Caucasian 35% Black/African Clients by Racial Ethnic Dist Clients by Diagnosis 8% 25% Our clients are living with severe illnesses that have a American Kidney HIV/AIDS profound effect on their lives. Because of this, we are Disease 15% Cardiovascular committed to never charging for a meal, never 2% Asian Disease Pacific Islander & 4% Severe maintaining a waiting list, and delivering without Native American Diabetes delay. The meals and nutrition counseling God’s Love Clients by Racial Ethnic Dist provides are critical services that help Clientsthem not by Diagnosisonly to get better, but also to take some measure of control SERVICE AREA AGE over their circumstances. When we deliver aClients meal, bywe Age Clients by Geographic Dist 2% 0-12 3% are delivering nourishment, dignity, respect and love. 2% New Jersey 13-19 1% 20-29 In FY 2013, God’s Love cooked and delivered nearly 10% 22% 23% 40-49 3% Bronx 36% 1.2 million meals, a record for our organization. Queens 70+ 30-39 Clients by Age 22% We delivered to nearly 5,000 clients, 279Clients children by Geographic Dist 24% 26% 50-59 and 214 senior caregivers. Our clients are Manhattan Brooklyn 23% overwhelmingly poor, with most living at or 60-69 below the poverty level in the region’s most 3% underserved neighborhoods in New York City Staten Island and parts of New Jersey. The meals we deliver help reassure and comfort our clients who are Clients by Racial Ethnic Dist facing illness, fear and loneliness. Clients by Racial Ethnic Dist Clients by Age “Without God’s Love, things would be so much harder. I’m so grateful God’s LOVE CLIENT VIOLA for God’s Love.” Clients by Age NUTRITION IS OUR SIGNATURE DIFFERENCE nlike any other organization in New York City, our staff of Registered Dietitians works with OUR NUTRITION PUBLICatIONS Uevery client to design a custom meal program that best meets each person’s specific medical and nutritional requirements. This individualized nutrition is what sets us apart from all other meal programs. Every day, our meals are individually tailored with the freshest and highest quality ingredients to ensure that our clients always receive optimum nutritional value. From the development of our therapeutic menus, to nutrition VOLNTEER PICKING UP PRODUCE at counseling, to the safe delivery of our client meals, we THE battEry urbaN FARM see the power of food as medicine and understand the significance of proper nutrition. PRODUCE FROM THE TRIBECA CSA ADVENT SOFtwarE CREATING A LEGACY t is our hope that each generation will help provide for the next, so that we can always be there for clients at a time in Itheir lives when they need us most. In 2011 we formed our Legacy Society, and today we thank those who have joined this society and helped secure our future. There are so many who have told us that they have chosen to include God’s Love in their estate plans. Doing so is a demonstration of their dedication and compassion to the important work we do. “The best legacy you can leave is one that keeps on giving. The Legacy Society keeps your memory alive. And for me it’s important that the support I give God’s Love We Deliver carries on.” Vicente Wolf Interior Designer and Legacy Society Member NEWS frOM THE YEar BLAINE TruMP, LANCE LEPERE, MICHAEL HERItagE OF PRIDE God’s LOVE TEAM AFTER JIM KONETSKY & ROZ GILBErt KORS & JOHN IDOL at God’s LOVE WE HURRICANE SANDY ON WORLD AIDS Day DELIVER DURING MICHAEL KORS MONTH very day, week and year, we are able volunteers responded quickly, distributing dedication of many friends, we have always been to meet the demand for our services more than 8,000 meals to clients and other there for our clients at a time in their lives when Ethanks to our phenomenal supporters. evacuees. Many of our clients were without they need us most. We never have a waiting list And we are able to celebrate, unite and grow as power. We quickly assembled more than 2,300 or charge for our services. Today, we are grateful an organization, no matter what comes along. nonperishable meal kits, and delivered these for their amazing support. throughout the five boroughs. We couldn’t have We named July “Michael Kors Month” in responded so quickly, efficiently or thoroughly In June, hundreds of staff and volunteers joined honor of our wonderful friend’s longstanding without the help of our outstanding volunteer together at the 44th Annual Heritage of Pride and increased support. His staff generously gave community. March. For the second year in a row, God’s Love their time and enthusiasm, volunteering with us in our kitchen. He elevated that commitment On December 1, we recognized World AIDS and Whole Foods Market NYC partnered on by devoting the resources of his company to Day. Serving as our backdrop was Fred’s panel the event – we are proud to have joined forces our clients, our mission and our agency here at from the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Fred was the with this community minded company. Thanks God’s Love We Deliver. son of our longtime volunteer, Roz Gilbert. We to everyone who came out as we exclaimed heard from many of our staff and friends who #FeedYourPride! In October, Hurricane Sandy struck New York were touched by the AIDS pandemic, and we City, and our SoHo building lost power. were reminded of the toll the pandemic took Thank you for helping make it a great year at Immediately following the storm, staff and on our community. Through the wonderful God’s Love. THE HOLIdaYS AT GOD’S LOVE very year, we continue to deliver a record number of ACTOR KIM CattraLL VOLUNTEERED VOLUNTEERS at BASKET Day holiday meals to clients, their children, caregivers, and WITH US ON THANKSGIVING Eguests on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve morning. This year was no less remarkable. The holidays are always the busiest time of year at God’s Love. Our Director of Culinary Services begins in early fall working with the Nutrition Department to develop our famously nutritious delivery menus. Client Service Representatives contact every client and ask if they would like to invite a guest—we believe that no one should have to spend the holidays alone. Careful thought is given to what items we need for Emergency Blizzard Boxes and gift baskets. The weekend before both READY TO DELIVER ON CHRISTMAS EVE holidays, hundreds of dedicated volunteers come in to our cramped offices to assemble those boxes and baskets. On Thanksgiving and again in December, the kitchen staff begins work at 3:00 a.m. and their volunteers join them by 6:00 a.m., always with huge smiles on their faces. By 7:00 a.m., our delivery drivers start packing meals to be delivered to meal distribution centers all across the city.