God's Love We Deliver facts for kids
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| Formation | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ganga Stone |
| Founded at | West-Park Presbyterian Church |
| Purpose | Prepare and deliver meals to ill New York City residents |
| Headquarters | 166 Avenue of the Americas Manhattan, New York City |
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Region served
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New York City |
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President & CEO
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David Ludwigson |
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Budget
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$23 million (2021) |
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Volunteers
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23,000 annually |
God's Love We Deliver (GLWD) is an American charitable medically tailored meal organization founded in 1985 based in New York City. Despite its name, the organization is non-sectarian.
God's Love We Deliver volunteers prepare and deliver meals to ill New York City residents; the organization serves over 14,700 clients per year. As of 2024, GLWD had delivered over 35 million meals in New York City, over the course of 39 years. The organization raises funds for its operations through a variety of means, including celebrity-endorsed fundraisers and benefits.
History
The organization stems from a visit made by Ganga Stone (1941–2021), a hospice worker, to an AIDS patient in 1985. The recognition of the difficulty that the sick had in obtaining and preparing food led to her co-founding GLWD with her roommate Jane Best. In the early days of the organization, Best and Stone delivered a few meals per day by bicycle. By 1993, GLWD was serving two meals a day to 550 clients.
In December 1995—on World AIDS Day—the organization moved into its own home, at 166 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. It had previously rented kitchen space in the American Youth Hostel at Amsterdam and 103rd Street. The building went through considerable renovations in 2015 to reflect the organization's rapid growth.
In 2001, the organization expanded its mission to serve ill clients with conditions beyond HIV/AIDS.
In 2021, God's Love We Deliver budgeted for distributing 2.5 million meals to 10,000 New Yorkers who were homebound with various ailments.
As of March 2024, the organization is serving more than 15,200 meals every weekday to clients, their caregivers, and dependants. They are projected to deliver 4.2+ million meals in 2024. Nutritionists work with patients to develop a unique meal plan to accommodate their diagnoses. Their client population includes over 200 diagnoses and a majority of clients live with more than one ailment. Their facility at 166 Avenue of the Americas operates a nearly 10,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and bakery. It also operates its own delivery operations and a fulfillment center pack-out area with a covered loading dock. They frequently work with local businesses and school groups on volunteer opportunities, accommodating over 670 volunteer groups in 2023.
See also
- Citymeals-on-Wheels
- City Harvest
- Food Bank For New York City
