Project Open Hand provides food and nourishment to improve the quality of life for the men, women and children it serves.

Description:
Project Open Hand programs include: meal, grocery and nutrition counseling for people with symptomatic HIV and AIDS; congregate lunch and nutrition education for people over 60 years of age; meal service for homebound and critically ill people under the age of 60. Services are available to eligible clients living in San Francisco and Alameda counties, regardless of their race, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability or ability to pay.

History:
In 1985 in San Francisco, Ruth Brinker, a retired grandmother, watched a dear friend die of AIDS. She realized that for many people with HIV/AIDS, malnutrition was causing death as much as the illness itself. At that time, no social service agency was providing meals to those too weak from AIDS or too impoverished to feed themselves. Using her experience as a manager with another food program, Ruth enlisted the help of her friends, secured a basement kitchen at a local church and began to serve meals to seven clients, Project Open Hand was born.

As more people heard about Ruth's "project" more requests started coming in for home-delivered meals and Ruth put out a call for volunteers. Project Open Hand has not stopped growing since. We moved to a kitchen on 17th street and assumed responsibility for a food bank. In 1989, we started serving people with AIDS in Alameda County. In 1997, Project Open Hand moved to its current home on 730 Polk Street. Clients can now receive hot nutritious meals, groceries and nutrition education all under one roof. In 1998, Project Open Hand furthered its reach and began serving congregate lunches to seniors at various sites throughout San Francisco.

At the beginning of 2000, Project Open Hand expanded its services to provide Meals with Love to people who are homebound and critically ill. Ruth's original vision of "nutrition with compassion" is being shared with other people in need. People who have limited social services available to them and are in need of the comfort Project Open Hand's meals provide.

Contact person: Michael Haritos, Program Manager, (phone), (email)

Address:

1921 San Pablo Avenue Oakland, CA 94612 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.openhand.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 19th st BART,   Walk distance (in minutes): 2