Casey Hagerman delivering AMWD lunches to a Marin County encampment with other volunteers

The following true story is an inspiring meditation on the impact of receiving acts of kindness and the impact of paying them forward.

I received a call a few weeks ago. A volunteer who helped host a series of AMWD events her company, Neuralink, wanted to connect me with her dad. She told me about her upcoming nuptials and how her dad had the idea to restore the old VW Bug that he drove her home in from the hospital when she was born. He wanted to drive her to the wedding in it, too. It was to be a meaningful full-circle moment.

He went to the mechanic shop he always went to and worked with the owner to get it in tip-top shape. When he went to pay, his mechanic friend gifted the work he'd done, saying he wanted it to be a wedding present. 

The volunteer's dad was so touched by that act of generosity that he felt he needed to energetically pass it on. Which is why he wanted to talk to me. 

It turns out that the shop friend's son had been experiencing homelessness for a while. Despite his efforts, the son wouldn't come home. 
 

The volunteer's dad wanted to do something to help. Unfortunately, the mechanic's son's location was unknown, but he remembered that his daughter had volunteered with AMWD. He took the money he saved from the mechanic and paid it forward. Because of his actions, our volunteers can now deliver lunches bought from that donation to people who are hungry and houseless. 

When we deliver, we remember these stories. As our partner in good, nonprofit Miracle Messages says, "everyone is someone's somebody."  Let's remember that we all need each other sometimes.

I want to close by saying thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for remembering your houseless neighbors. Thank you for donating, and thank you for volunteering. Every meal, dollar, follow, like, and mention counts.

We envision a world where no one is hungry and houseless and where our shared humanity is always respected. We invite you to bring nourishment to your community and help us deliver on our 3,000-meal goal for 2022! 

With Gratitude,

Casey Hagerman
Executive Director
A Meal With Dignity

The guidelines for an A Meal With Dignity lunch have been designed and doctor-approved to best support the digestive system and health of a person experiencing homelessness. Our meal is nutrition-packed and as sustainable as possible. While prices may vary by store, time of year, and what you already have around, it's best to budget for $10 per lunch.

The classic AMWD sandwich prioritizes the use of organic, non-processed ingredients because things like additives and synthetic pesticides are harmful to the gut microbiome and have an inflammatory effect on people with already weakened systems. Our lunches are intentional and supportive for those who are hungry and homeless, or anyone in need of a nutritious homemade meal.

Below is an estimated breakdown of what goes into the dignified, homemade, hand-delivered $10 AMWD lunch. Keep this information in mind if you decide to make your lunches on your own or donate a lunch for our monthly events!

• Paper bag, napkin, 2 compostable sandwich bags = $0.50

• 2 bottles water = $3

• Soft Fruit = $1

• Soft Cookie = $1.75 (or less if homemade)

• Brioche bun = $2

• 1/2 Avocado = $1.50

• Tomato, lettuce = $0.50

• Mint, parsley, chives = $.50

• Slice of cheese = $.50

• Extra virgin olive oil = $.25

For extra guidance, join our virtual monthly training event this Saturday, 8/20 10:30am-12:30pm PST to make a lunch with our team that you will then deliver to any neighbor you see who is experiencing homelessness.

We will be dedicating this event to Madre Liliana, our Co-Founder Gene D'Ovidio's mother, who passed on August 11, 2022. She spent her life caring for those in need and setting an example for all who knew her. 
 
Check out this short YouTube tutorial

• Gather your packaging supplies (lunch bags, napkins, sandwich bags) locally or https://amzn.to/2Wjf6aM

• Scout out the unsheltered neighbors in your community so you know where to deliver meals

• Ripen your avocados and soft fruit

• Use the AMWD Toolkit for reference: Meal-Making Toolkit

• Sign the Volunteer Liability Release Form

Please share this event with anyone who might be interested in volunteering.
 
Donations are always appreciated to keep our efforts going. 
https://amealwithdignity.org/donate

Our wish is for no one hungry and homeless. We hope you can join us! If you can't make the events but hand out your own AMWD lunches anytime, be sure to email the meal count and any photos to hello@amealwithdignity.org.

With Gratitude,
Casey Hagerman, Executive Director

The Classic AMWD Sandwich Recipe features avocado, lettuce, tomato, cheese, parsley, mint, chives, and olive oil on a soft bun.

Maya Angelou image by Casey Hagerman

I used to offer my leftovers to someone I’d pass on the street without understanding the health risks and indignity of partially eaten food. And many well-meaning people volunteer their time preparing bagged filled with PB&J, potato chips, and candy to hand out to the hungry. Feeding the homeless is a generous and important act of community service. A Meal With Dignity (AMWD) offers a fresh view on how to go about it with more attention to health and service.

As Maya Angelou said, “do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” AWMD takes the bagged lunch a step further, knowing that most unhoused people suffer from at least one chronic health condition like diabetes. Soup kitchens and front-line food suppliers tend to offer meals to houseless people–often the only meal they will have in a day–that are high in preservatives, salt, fat, and sugar due to a lack of resources and understanding. 

AMWD aims to educate and support volunteers and food providers with information, recipes, and ideas to offer a healthy, dignified meal. Our digestible, doctor-approved model is based on decades of experience feeding the unhoused. AMWD inspires volunteers to hand-deliver lunches filled with fresh, medicinal, thoughtful ingredients to their neighbors suffering on the streets, wherever they are, using our downloadable Toolkit. AMWD’s grassroots approach makes a difference in the lives of individual volunteers and homeless recipients. We hope you will join us!
 

Donate a Lunch

Operations Manager, Bradley Golden, connects with a meal recipient in San Francisco at the AMWD monthly event.

Athleta volunteers pose before delivering AWMD lunches in San Francisco

We are grateful and awed by your acts of kindness. The generosity we encounter daily at A Meal With Dignity keeps us going and deserves recognition. Our partners in good, like Athleta, Neuralink, Classy, PostMates, Eclipse Foods, Bold, University of San Francisco, Miracle Messages, and the hundreds of individual volunteers across the country take the time, energy, and resources to make lunches to deliver to their houseless neighbors. 
 
We are grateful for the vital support we receive from our generous donors who allow us to spread care to those in need by financially supporting our efforts to get fresh meals to those suffering from hunger and houselessness.

Every dollar, follow, like, and mention counts.

Our AMWD toolkit and resources offer an approachable and empowering way to make and deliver your own lunches using our dignity-forward model. We continuously receive feedback about the immense gratitude our volunteers feel, and the connection felt to their communities and each other after an AMWD event. We invite you to take our toolkit and make it your own!

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your support. Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for reading this letter and vision-holding with us for a world where no one is hungry and houseless, and where our shared humanity is always respected. Bring nourishment to your community and help us reach our 3,000 meal goal for 2022!

Donate a Lunch

Co-Founder Joy D'Ovidio Training Volunteers at Her Home in San Francisco

The A Meal With Dignity model is a culmination of our Co-Founder Joy D'Ovidio's 30-plus years of making food for the unhoused. Because the majority of those who are houseless suffer from at least one chronic condition, the quality of ingredients and preparation is important. It is also important to be prepared for delivery. The more we can work together to nourish those in need, the more we can heal our communities.

No need to reinvent the wheel, we have the answers to our FAQs so you can make your own meals with dignity!

Why use a brioche bun or other soft bread for the sandwiches? Why softer fruits? 
Many houseless and unsheltered have issues accessing dental services and therefore have a lot of issues with their teeth. To prevent discomfort we highly recommend using soft bread when making your sandwiches. We also recommend the fruit you include is soft, ripe, and fresh. A banana is an excellent option. Consider adding a seasonal fruit in addition to a banana for extra nutrition.

Why avoid whole wheat and other hearty grain breads? 
Our health advisor Dr. Adrian Aurrecoechea highly recommends we avoid using hearty/whole wheat/whole grain bread due to gastro-intestinal issues that the houseless and unsheltered face. When the houselesss and unsheltered have various ailments we want to be extra cautious to avoid any additional burden on their body.

Why fresh and organic produce and ingredients? Won't our unsheltered neighbors appreciate anything we give them? 
Food can be medicine. If you want to treat someone who is ill, you give them things that will make them well. The food we ingest and give to others should help us recover and feel better. The unsheltered have some resources for food, however, there are very few resources for healthy and nutritious food. We go out of our way to bring fresh and healthy food to begin the long process of recovery. Help be an advocate for improving the lives of those in our communities.

What about preparing and delivering hot meals or meat? 
Food safety is a top priority. Many ingredients such as meat and egg products carry food born illness when eaten at the incorrect temperature. Unhoused folks usually do not have refrigeration or ways to reheat foods, so it is important to reduce any risk of exposure to illness-inducing bacteria. That's why we recommend cold-prep vegetarian meals. 

I'm worried about the risk. Is there danger in interacting with the unsheltered? 
When you meet someone in need and present them with something beautifully prepared and packaged in a sanitary and legitimate way - such as the handled bag we suggest and the meal we suggest - the person is grateful. While we do recommend volunteers sign a waiver and as with any human interaction there can be a measure of risk, in over 25 years of feeding the homeless - Joy has never had an incident. Additionally, our volunteers have never had an incident and have been met with so much gratitude and love.

Donate a Lunch

AMWD Lunch = Sandwich, 2 Bottled Water, Fresh Cookie, Soft Fruit

What you'll need:

• The grocery list and instructions: Meal-Making Toolkit

• Lunch bags, sandwich bags, napkins, and bottled water!

• Sign the Volunteer Liability Release Form

You can buy lunch for a neighbor in need!
1 fresh, organic, sustainable lunch= $10.
Click the button below!

Volunteers in Boulder, Sausalito, & San Francisco

Our wish is to inspire others to feed their neighbors experiencing homelessness. A Meal With Dignity is one way to make a difference, connecting and offering gestures of healing within our communities. We hope you can join us!

Other ways to get involved? Share our organization with your workplace Corporate Social Responsibility or Office Manager!

With deep gratitude and respect,

Casey Hagerman
Executive Director
A Meal With Dignity
outreach@amealwithdignity.org
https://amealwithdignity.org

Follow us online!
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The Meal-Making Toolkit

The AMWD sandwich is special for a number of reasons.
1. It is loaded with healthy macro and micronutrients. 
2. The soft, organic, anti-inflammatory ingredients are supportive of houseless folks who may have sensitive systems and dental issues. Check out our FAQs page for more info.
3. It is a LOVE sandwich! It's made with the intention of giving the best of the best to those with the least. 

Are you excited to dig in? We have our monthly virtual event this Saturday. Learn from us so you can do make them on your own time!

Remember, the majority of houseless people suffer from at least one chronic health condition like diabetes and heart disease. And a leading cause of emergency room patients is food scarcity. If you have extra love to give, now's the time!

Next Steps:

• Read the Toolkit: https://bit.ly/AMWDToolkit

• Gather your packaging supplies (lunch bags, napkins, sandwich bags) locally or https://amzn.to/2Wjf6aM

• Scout out the unsheltered neighbors in your community so have an idea where to deliver

• Grocery shop from the Toolkit

• Sign the Volunteer Liability Release Form
  
   
  Donations are always appreciated to keep our efforts going. 
  https://amealwithdignity.org/donate
  
  Our wish is for no one hungry and homeless. We hope you can join us! If you can't make the events but hand out your own AMWD lunches anytime.
  
  Be sure to email the amount of lunches delivered and any photos to outreach@amealwithdignity.org so we can recognize and add your contribution to our count! Our goal is 3,000 lunches in 2022!

C0-Founder and Board President Gene D'Ovidio making his AMWD Sandwiches for delivery

We can make a difference in our communities. Please join us and invite your friends!!

To do your own AMWD, check out the orange box with "The AMWD Experience" below.

Casey Hagerman, Joy & Gene D'Ovidio
https://amealwithdignity.org

You may be wondering what makes the AMWD sandwich so special. You see, most individuals who are houseless in San Francisco (74% according to the 2019 Point-in-Time Count) suffer from at least one chronic health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, and often have dental issues. And in case you were wondering, 8,035 houseless individuals were surveyed in 2019 in SF. You read that right. The population is expected to have risen since Covid-19. That means that thousands of our neighbors are sick, hungry, and houseless.

The AMWD classic sandwich is exemplary because it is soft and is made of fresh vegetables, herbs, and ingredients that are medicine for individuals who are both hungry and sick. It is literally doctor-approved, by our board member, Dr. Adrian Aurrecoechea.

Unfortunately, soup kitchens are usually under-resourced and under-equipped to provide ingredients like fresh avocado and extra virgin olive oil. As individual volunteers, we can really make a difference by handing out healing foods to houseless individuals, where they are. 

How can you help?
You are invited to volunteer with us from home (using your computer and your kitchen!) on Saturday 5/21, 10:30 am-12:30 pm PST!

We'll be making fresh lunches together using the AMWD Toolkit and personally bring them to our shelterless neighbors, with dignity, where they are. We need your help to reach 3,000 lunches in 2022!

What you'll need:

• The grocery list and instructions: https://bit.ly/AMWDToolkit

• Lunch bags, sandwich bags, napkins, and bottled water!

• Sign the Volunteer Liability Release Form

Can't make it? You can buy lunch for a neighbor in need!
1 fresh, organic, sustainable lunch= $10.
Click the button below!

Donate a Lunch

Some moments in life shift one’s being, knowing, and understanding of the world.

A few weeks ago, I experienced this type of moment while delivering AMWD meals in downtown Oakland with the staff of Eclipse Foods, a plant-based ice cream start-up. They were moved to action by witnessing people living in tents right outside their company walls and hosted a meal-making event at their headquarters.

I have been volunteering with A Meal With Dignity for the last year and have delivered over one hundred meals at this point.

Every time I hand off a meal, I feel a deep sense of connection—human-to-human oneness. We are the same, yet our experiences of life at that moment are so drastically different. I feel a sense of immense gratitude and humility.

That day in Oakland, my heart broke. My fellow delivery volunteer Christine and I drove through a freeway underpass and double-parked. Carrying our bags of meals, we entered a village of about 60 tent homes. Some with padlocks and improvised doors for a sense of safety. Some people sweeping their tent floors, some resting.

As we walked along the road, we called out, “We’re with A Meal With Dignity. Would you like a fresh meal?” At first skeptical, they then welcomed us with our meals. They looked after each other, making sure they got enough meals for their families and friends. We distributed 75 meals there and still could have used more. Right down the road, there were more of these tent villages with more people fighting to survive with so few options and support.

They were exhausted, scared, discarded, and left to fend for themselves on the streets.

I used to feel fearful passing houseless people on the streets. Like I was invading their turf and might be attacked. I have been yelled at many times in my life by unwell people. Sometimes people who are mentally struggling are best to not interfere within those moments. But the vast majority of people I have delivered meals to are just so grateful. Grateful to receive care, attention, and nourishment. They thank me. They are touched to know they are not invisible. That people are looking out for them even for a moment.

Oakland tent encampment we delivered meals to.

That day in Oakland left me stunned. How did we get here? How is this OK? How can these people be left to suffer in such huge numbers? I’ve driven by these encampments many times and turned a blind eye. That day handing out meals, I felt a shift inside. I need to share my experience and stop normalizing homelessness. It is not OK that anyone is that vulnerable to losing their home and has to suffer and die on the streets. Because that is the reality. People are dying right outside our doors. And one moment of human kindness DOES make a difference. It’s time to open our eyes and our hearts and to take care of each other.

By Casey Hagerman

From our AMWD Newsletter - click to read more:

It is hard to know the impact our actions have on the world. I want to share the story of the simple action that had the power to save A Meal With Dignity.

Many of us question our life choices, wondering if we’re doing the right thing. Is what we’re doing really helping anyone? Is all our hard work for naught?

By David Rutan

Will all this hard work planting seeds turn into anything beautiful?

The day that confirmed our purpose at AMWD was witnessing one of those seeds sprout a tiny blossom of hope and reassurance. We were indeed doing the right thing. A single action by a supporter showed us that our existence meant something.

I was teaching Joy how to download Donor reports when we came across a donation that was atypically through a different source than the website or a check. “What is this donation from?” Joy questioned. “That looks like Facebook,” I replied.

We found the donations section on Facebook and waited patiently as the report was generated and emailed. We opened the email, opened the report, and skimmed through, where we discovered donors we hadn’t noticed before.

Someone created a fundraiser for us! So, we dug in a little bit. Someone named Michelle made a fundraiser for AMWD for their birthday from Denmark, which prompted six others to donate to us as well through the fundraiser!

Michelle from Denmark was moved to action by her Father's homeless situation.

This was it. A total stranger found us. She wanted to help her homeless father out in San Francisco and found us. She created a fundraiser and was so inspirational in her ask that many of her friends pitched in.
This is that seed, this is that bud of hope. Joy was practically in tears as we realized the magnitude of what we found.

We immediately reached out to the donor and thanked her profusely, asking why she blessed us with her choice of support. She told the story of her father, half a world away, who she was just trying to help, along with others like him. Those suffering on the streets who can’t get a decent meal unless they trek to a shelter or food bank.

We represented hope for her, and she became the bloom that helped us realize we truly were on the right path. The hard work and seed planting were creating a positive change in the world.

This one simple and kind gesture of running a fundraiser reinvigorated everyone.

A Meal With Dignity is where we are now, growing and continuing forward with actions of hope, in large part because of this kind soul and kismet connection.

Remember that your positive actions truly do lead to change. You may not be aware of that change, and the people changed may not recognize your hand in it. In this instance we did, and we are forever grateful.

Good afternoon our cherished volunteers and supporters!

To achieve our vision of no hunger, we would love your continued support and help.

Our team wanted to put together a meal-making session to help you put on an event in your area. The session will provide all you need to know to make the AMWD classic meal and deliver it directly to our unsheltered neighbors in our communities.

If you are interested in joining us, please order supplies ahead of time.

We will be making around six lunches a piece (minimum).

Packing supplies can be ordered from here: Packaging Supplies.

Also, please look over our new (not quite finished) Meal Making Toolkit for a list of ingredients used in the sandwiches, along with the basic preparation steps and information: Meal Making Toolkit - Individual or Small Event.

The event starts on July 24th at 10:30 am PST and should go until 12:30pm.

Click HERE to RSVP, or if you need further assistance or have questions email us at help@amealwithdignity.org or visit our Contact Us page to send us a note.

Good afternoon our cherished volunteers and supporters!

To achieve our vision of no hunger, we would love your continued support and help.

Our team wanted to put together a meal-making session to help you put on an event in your area. The session will provide all you need to know to make the AMWD classic meal and deliver it directly to our unsheltered neighbors in our communities.

If you are interested in joining us, please order supplies ahead of time.

We will be making around six lunches a piece (minimum).

Packing supplies can be ordered from here: Packaging Supplies.

Also, please look over our new (not quite finished) Meal Making Toolkit for a list of ingredients used in the sandwiches, along with the basic preparation steps and information: Meal Making Toolkit - Individual or Small Event.

The event starts on June 19th at 10 am PST and should go until noon.

To get a link to the Zoom virtual event, please contact: help@amealwithdignity.org or use our Contact Us page to send us a note.

Press Release

Organic Homeless Feeding Program Offers Free Toolkit to Help Anyone Host Their Own Event

San Francisco, CA, Friday, March 13, 2020 – As Howard Thurman reminds us “…the most fundamental characteristic of life is its search for nourishment…” Unfortunately, many of the homeless in our community are going to sleep hungry. And, when they are fed it’s all too often with the least desirable food that’s often from the bottom of the barrel. AMWD believes one should feed the homeless as one would feed oneself. And, in San Francisco that means fresh, healthy and organic.

 AMWD believes that anyone can feed the homeless with dignity, and everyone should. Not only should food be of the highest quality, a meal should be nutritionally complete. And, rather than having someone line up in a “soup line”, the meal should be personally served to a homeless person wherever they “live”. Served with dignity.

 AMWD has published a “how-to” Toolkit that provides step-by-step instructions for hosting an AMWD event to produce and deliver fresh, healthy and organic boxed lunches to homeless in your local community. It’s been published in two versions, one for individuals and another for larger enterprises. Either Toolkit can be downloaded as a PDF file from www.amealwithdignity.org/getinvolved.

 “Homelessness is a growing problem that at seems at times to be an insurmountable problem. Many want to help, but just don’t know what to do”, said Gene D’Ovidio, co-founder and board president of A Meal With Dignity.

 About A Meal With Dignity

AMWD, founded in 2017, seeks to end homeless and hungry on a global basis, and has been approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.

The Executive Director of AMWD, Joy D'Ovidio, is available for interviews about how to feed the homeless with dignity.

Contact: Joy D’Ovidio, Executive Director

joydovidio@amealwithdignity.org

(415) 305-5655

A Meal With Dignity (AMWD)

45 Divisadero Street

San Francisco, CA 94117

www.amealwithdignity.org 

We’re so excited that in partnership with Postmates Civic Labs, a group of volunteers in Nashville just did a meal making event yesterday! They prepared and delivered 100 meals. We have been added to the Postmates Civic Labs’ list of nonprofits as one of their Partners in Good.  We’re thrilled to continue this relationship and continue spreading the good work.

The A Meal with Dignity meal making program truly can be recreated anywhere and make a direct impact on a local community.

If you are interested in participating in or hosting an event, click here.

Mayor London Breed came to our Divisadero Heights block party on Sunday and recognized A Meal With Dignity’s contribution to the relief of hunger of our unsheltered neighbors in SF.

Here we are with three new young AMWD volunteers from the Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts.

Support our cause!

With the support of 14 volunteers, we made and delivered 120 lunches on Saturday, Oct 12 at a home in San Francisco!

If you’d like to sign up for our next event, please complete the volunteer form here.

Our October 2nd event at Postmates was such a success. Thank you to everyone who participated! 100 organic boxed lunches were prepped, made and delivered directly to the unsheltered on the streets of SF.

If your company is interested in planning an event, click here! We are happy to work with you to create a meal-making event for your team.

The next lunch making event for A Meal with Dignity is scheduled to happen at Gene and Joy’s home in San Francisco.

Date: Saturday, October 12, 2019

Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: San Francisco, CA (please email to receive exact address)

If you would like more information or would like to sign up to participate, please let us know by emailing joy@amealwithdignity.org.

We are excited to announce that A Meal with Dignity has been named one of Postmates’ Partners in Good. Read more about the program here.

Postmates will host another AMWD event at their headquarters offices in SF on Tuesday 10/01. All the volunteers will be their employees.