Here at GLIDE, we believe in food for all – no exceptions and no exclusions. Because nutrition is a necessity, not a luxury – and in the wealthiest society on the face of the earth, no one should go hungry.

Unfortunately, growing income inequality and rapidly rising food costs mean that food insecurity now affects one in four people in San Francisco.Many working-class households are facing difficult choices every month between food, housing, and medicine.

Our Daily Free Meals program – which originally started as a volunteer-run, community potluck serving 50 people – now supports our community with more than 10,000 nutritious, culturally-appropriate meals per week, in an environment where ALL can eat with dignity.

I’m writing today to ask you to chip in with a gift to our 2023 Cecil Williams Fund for the Hungry and support our meals program – and thanks to a total of $75,000 of generous matching grants from SoMa Equity Partners and an anonymous donor, your gift to alleviate hunger will be DOUBLED. Can you give today?

GLIDE’s Daily Free Meals program has always been one of the highest expressions of our mission of building empathy, transforming lives, and being radically inclusive. We work closely in local partnerships to extend our reach and advocate for the needy in our society, and we’re blessed with a strong volunteer base to support our work in this time of enormous need.

One of those volunteers whose story crossed my desk a few weeks back is Landon To, a 14-year-old whose mom Dina first brought him to volunteer at GLIDE back in 2017. Landon quickly became aware of the disparities facing our society, and upon starting high school, Landon helped establish a chapter of “The Lunchmakers” that’s raised more than $500 in grants and donations — and now provides about 350-400 lunches a month in two biweekly visits to GLIDE.

Landon’s is an exceptional story – but when we ALL pitch in to alleviate hunger, the results can be amazing. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to GLIDE for a visit, for a service or to volunteer … but what you’ll find is a radically inclusive and loving community of staff and volunteers, nourishing the bodies and souls of all in need with nutritious meals served in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Today is the day we ask for your financial support of this community – and thanks to our matching grant donors, your gift to the Cecil Williams 2023 Fund for the Hungry will go twice as far this year. So please give as generously as you can to help your neighbors in need.

Thank you for your compassion and generosity,

Malcolm Walter
Interim CEO and Proud GLIDE Supporter