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WAYS TO DONATE

Mail it to:
​Heart of Dinner Inc.
31 Howard Street
#404
New York, NY 10013

JOIN US IN NOURISHING OUR ELDERS
At Heart of Dinner, our 501(c)(3) mission is dedicated to addressing food insecurity, social isolation, and loneliness among Asian American older adults living in New York's under-resourced and underinvested communities. Concerning data reveals that 23% of Asian New Yorkers live in poverty, significantly higher than the citywide average of 16% of all New Yorkers. And a staggering 28% of Asian American older adults 65+ live in poverty. As the American Bar Association reveals, Asian elders, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, endure more social isolation and mental health struggles than their peers due to linguistics, financial, and cultural barriers. These factors combined significantly impact the mental and emotional well-being of Asian American older adults in a city where depression and suicide among older adult immigrants are on the rise.

This underscores the vital role of Heart of Dinner, which transcends beyond essential nutritional sustenance and culturally thoughtful food provision, to include indispensable support for emotional and mental well-being. Your generous donations enable us to deliver Heart of Dinner care packages with culturally thoughtful meals and handwritten notes of love and art, directly addressing these critical needs and nourishing our Elder community. Your donation is more than just a contribution; it's a lifeline to those we serve and a support to the community we build. Join us in making a meaningful difference. 

YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Your generosity enables us to continue making a critical impact. As of Aug 2024, marking a significant milestone since we began in 2020, Heart of Dinner has proudly delivered over 200,000 meals to Asian American older adults. 

OUR IMPACT AND YOUR ROLE
In our concerted efforts to enrich the lives of Asian American older adults living in underinvested and under-resourced communities, Heart of Dinner's comprehensive approach addresses the multifaceted needs of our beloved Elders transcending beyond mere physical sustenance, profoundly uplifting the emotional and mental well-being. Through our initiatives, we aim to holistically address the challenges faced by our beneficiaries, recognizing that overcoming food insecurity is as vital as alleviating the detrimental emotional and mental burdens of loneliness and isolation. Each aspect of our approach is designed to ensure that the elders we serve not only survive but thrive with dignity and joy.

We are deeply appreciative of your support and generosity and here are the top 3 ways you can support us in needle-moving ways that drive impact for our organization. 
 
1. Monetary donations: Monetary donations are our greatest need that drive the most impact at this time for Heart of Dinner. Your donations support our entire spectrum of vital work and build a sustainable foundation for growth. A portion of your contribution also goes towards our ambitious 2024 initiative to build Heart of Dinner's in-house delivery infrastructure which will be foundational in stabilizing our service delivery, allowing us to continue providing reliable care package deliveries. (Learn more about the initiative below.) If you're interested and able to contribute, please visit this link. Once your donation is completed on our online platform, an automated donation letter of receipt will be sent to the email address you input. If you have questions about the donation platform, or did not receive the automated donation letter of receipt, or would like to request a physical donation letter, please email accounting[at]edwardcharlesfoundation.org and CC hello[at]heartofdinner.org.
 
2. Self-fundraising proceeds for Heart of Dinner: 
We are immensely grateful for your dedication and efforts in supporting us. To ensure clarity and transparency, it's important that you explicitly mention the specific percentage of proceeds (for example, '100% of proceeds' or '50% of proceeds') that will be donated to Heart of Dinner in all public communications. Additionally, please note that the use of the Heart of Dinner logo is strictly limited to officially sanctioned partnerships. These partnerships must be formally approved in writing by the Co-Executive Directors of Heart of Dinner. To avoid any misunderstandings or misleading representations, please refrain from using our logo unless such approval has been granted. For any inquiries regarding partnerships, logo usage, or to seek approval for your fundraising initiatives, please reach out to us by clicking here. We're here to assist and guide you through the process.
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3. I'm interested in donating and getting my company to match contributions, what should I do? We're deeply touched by your willingness to donate and further support our work at Heart of Dinner through your company's matching contributions! Thank you so much for going the extra mile in amplifying your impact and uplifting us in this generous way! Here is some key information that would be helpful to pass on to your company: Heart of Dinner is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the tax ID 85-2676806. Please email hello[at]heartofdinner.org and CC accounting[at]edwardcharlesfoundation.org if you have further questions about company matches or donor advised funds. 


Our 2024 Special Initiative: Building Our In-House Delivery Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future
As we look forward to 2024, we wish to share with you both our gratitude and the challenges we face, painting a picture of our journey and the role you play in it. Since the first Heart of Dinner delivery on April 1, 2020, we've experienced something remarkable. In a city where cars are a rarity, our incredible volunteer drivers have driven their own vehicles to ensure that not a single day of delivery was missed. Their dedication to carrying out our mission of home-delivering care packages to our Elder beneficiaries throughout NYC feels like an absolute miracle and has been instrumental here at Heart of Dinner. We're immensely grateful for every volunteer driver and passenger who has contributed their time and effort. Their commitment has been the cornerstone of ability to serve the beneficiaries living on their own without any support. 
In 2023, we experienced notable challenges with the availability of our volunteer drivers, largely due to natural life changes. Although we continue to receive invaluable support from some volunteer drivers, the number has significantly decreased. To uphold our promise of uninterrupted weekly home-deliveries, we've been fortunate to partner with a third-party driving company. This collaboration has been a valuable support and absolutely crucial in filling in the gaps when our volunteer driver numbers dwindled. However, this arrangement is not without its challenges. The drivers from this company, while tremendously helpful and incredibly committed, are juggling multiple jobs and are understandably not solely dedicated to Heart of Dinner as they strive to make a living-- preventing them from being able to fully immerse themselves in our values and guidelines at Heart of Dinner, a fundamental aspect of our delivery process. 
These experiences have highlighted the need for a dedicated fleet and team that align with Heart of Dinner's ethos and values! It's an ambitious initiative that requires your support for our continued success and growth. Your support through donations will play an instrumental role:

  1. Our Strategy for Sustainable Deliveries: To better serve our Elders and the ability to make sure that every Heart of Dinner care package is delivered with the love and care it represents, funds will not only help us sustain our current work but also help us to establish our own fleet of eco-friendly refrigerated vans. This will allow us to maintain a consistent, reliable delivery service that aligns with our values of thoughtfulness and personal connection.

  2. Acquire Eco-Friendly Refrigerated Vans: Investing in our fleet means we can deliver fresh, culturally nutritious meals to our Elders while minimizing our carbon footprint. Reach out to us here if you would like to discuss sponsoring an eco-friendly refrigerated van!

  3. Form a Dedicated Team: Your contributions will help us employ a team of drivers trains in the Heart of Dinner way by delivering each care package not just with efficiency, but with warmth, kindness, and love that meet our quality and high-standards in our journey redefining Elder care. 

  4. Every Contribution Makes a Difference: Whether it's a financial donation, in-kind donation of vans, corporate sponsorship, or other ways of contributing to this goal, your involvement is crucial. 

By donating to Heart of Dinner, you're not just supporting a service; you're contributing to a movement that values empathy, dignity, and community connection. 


A HOLISTIC APPROACH: CARING FOR COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT
At Heart of Dinner, our commitment extends beyond nourishing the community; we're equally dedicated to nurturing our planet. While we partner with local small businesses to uplift them, especially through the challenges of the pandemic, we're also mindful of our environmental responsibilities. Our zero food-waste policy are a testament to this commitment.
 
In line with these efforts, we've taken a significant step towards environmental stewardship. For every bundle of 250 plain brown bags that we purchase for assembling our care packages, we contribute to reforestation by planting a tree in collaboration with the nonprofit organization, One Tree Planted. This initiative not only supports our operational needs but also ensures that with every bag used to deliver care and joy, we give back to the Earth, fostering a cycle of sustainability and care.
 
Through this balanced approach, we aim to leave a positive footprint both in the hearts of those we serve and on the environment that sustains us all.

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