When Jerry Okey talks about food now, he doesn’t talk about restrictions – he talks about possibility.
While navigating cancer treatment alongside chronic kidney disease, Jerry needed meals that did more than fill a plate. Through Mama’s Kitchen, he began receiving medically tailored meals designed for his specific health needs – food that supports his healing, stability and independence.
“Mama’s Kitchen was able to work with me with all the nutritional requirements,” he said. “It’s been so wonderful. Every time, I look forward to the meal.”
For Jerry, that consistency and care have become part of how he manages his health day to day. His experience reflects the care Mama’s Kitchen delivers every day to people living with serious illnesses across San Diego County.
This story builds on reporting originally featured by CBS8 San Diego.
As Demand Grows, Funding Shifts
Each year, Mama’s Kitchen prepares and delivers more than 900,000 medically tailored meals to San Diegans living with serious and chronic illnesses. Every meal is designed to meet specific nutritional needs, like Jerry’s, supporting health outcomes while helping clients maintain independence and quality of life.
Over the past five years, the need for these services has doubled. At the same time, reductions in federal funding have created new uncertainty for food and health programs across the region – including those that have become essential to community well-being. According to CBS8, 42% of their funding comes from the federal government.
“We have lost about $200,000 per year over the next three years from one funding source, and we also have an anticipated loss of another roughly $150,000 a year,” said Eva Matthews, CEO of Mama’s Kitchen. “We know upfront we’re losing $350,000 a year.”
To help stabilize nonprofits facing this kind of uncertainty, San Diego Foundation created the Unity Fund, an initiative designed to strengthen nonprofits working at the intersection of food, housing and healthcare. Through the Unity Fund, San Diego Foundation (SDF)awareda $325,000 grant to Mama’s Kitchen to help sustain their services.
Mama’s Kitchen’s work shows how community-based organizations can deliver care that is both compassionate and clinically informed – and why sustaining that work matters.
The Right Ingredients for Community Care
For more than 35 years, Mama’s Kitchen has partnered with healthcare providers across San Diego County to deliver medically tailored meals as an essential part of patient care. Working with more than 400 medical referral partners and Medi-Cal managed care plans, the organization integrates nutrition directly into treatment and recovery.
Through their programs, nutrition is fully integrated into care, and meals are developed alongside healthcare providers to support specific diagnoses and treatment plans.
“Clients report feeling more confident and are able to prepare meals for themselves,” said Lexi Eisele, Director of Nutrition Services and Registered Dietitian at Mama’s Kitchen. “We believe food is medicine, and the food people eat directly impacts their health.”
For Jerry, the impact of this work isn’t abstract. It’s the reliability of meals designed specifically for his health, and the comfort that comes with knowing care extends beyond the clinic.
To learn more about the San Diego Unity Fund and its impact on nonprofits and communities across the region, visit SDFoundation.org/Unity.
