Every April, Matthew 25 AIDS Services, Inc. gears up for a fantastic event that allows us to partner with local restaurants, organizations, and with Dining Out For Life International, all in an effort to address the continuing HIV/AIDS epidemic and to take steps to effectively #EndHIV.
Dining Out For Life International began in Philadelphia just about the same time that Matthew 25 began in Henderson. Their idea was that the best way to have a really effective and meaningful conversation with another person was to sit down over a meal. This led the founders of Dining Out For Life International (DOFLI) to create their model of reaching out to local restaurants, partnering with them, and creating a one-night event in April (they settled on the last Thursday of the month) to help raise awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, to raise funds for their mission to support HIV/AIDS research and support, and more. Since that time, DOFLI has been able to expand across the United States and Canada and partner with several other HIV/AIDS organizations, clinics, and services in many cities and regions to advance the mission to #EndHIV.
Matthew 25 AIDS Services, Inc. is proud to be in our third year of partnership with DOFLI and join them in this effort. The mission of Matthew 25 is to support, educate, and treat those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, so DOFLI’s work is near and dear to our hearts. Under normal circumstances, we would be following the original model established in 1996; partnering with local restaurants, sending our employees in as ambassadors to our mission and advocating on behalf of those whose voices are often unheard.
But this past year has been anything but normal.
Because of the spread of COVID-19, saw business, restaurant, and organizational closures or restrictions that hampered the efforts of so many different industries. Matthew 25 was lucky to weather the storm and stay afloat despite much of our plans, events, and day-to-day activities being disrupted and potentially changed forever. However, Matthew 25 is adaptable, and COVID-19 isn’t the first epidemic we’ve had to face.
For our 2021 Dining Out For Life event, Matthew 25 AIDS Services has reached out again to several local restaurants like we normally would, but rather than ask them for donations or to allow our employees to act as ambassadors and physically interact with patrons, we are instead utilizing a socially distanced model to keep all participants safe from the spread of COVID.
This year we are not asking our partners for any donations like we have in the past; this year has been hard on all of us. We aim to not only advance our mission and goals, but to also support local businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. That is why the restaurants we have contacted are helping us to continue to spread our mission of support, treatment, and education by providing a space for flyers and other advertising materials featuring information from Matthew 25 throughout the entire month of April as opposed to the single night event from before, with no obligation to provide any extra funds, donations, or proceeds from their sales.
In addition, we are also hosting a virtual auction event from April 28th until April 30th to help us raise funds that directly benefit our patients through services not fully covered by our grants, such as transportation assistance, some food pantry items, family expenses, etc. We have been fortunate to have gathered fantastic items from generous donors including a resort stay at French Lick Resort, an autographed Cincinnati Bengals football, distillery tours to some of the best spots along the Bourbon trail, and much, much more!
We are excited and proud to be able to participate and host these events in spite of the continued COVID-19 pandemic and to be able to safely invite you and your loved ones to participate. Every day, our team works towards the goal of bringing HIV/AIDS to its end, and your support brings us closer and closer. All it takes is continuing the spread of HIV/AIDS awareness.
So, pull up a chair and help us continue the conversation to #EndHIV.
For more information regarding Dining Out For Life with Matthew 25 AIDS Services, please click here!
To access the virtual bidding website and register for the auction April28th-30th, click here!
For any questions, please call (270) 826-0200 or email jdunn@matthew25clinic.org