Mama’s Kitchen marked a major milestone this week with the delivery of its 14 millionth medically tailored meal to Hal Wanzo Jr., an 84-year-old Chula Vista resident, Vietnam War veteran and longtime client of the San Diego-based nonprofit.
Wanzo has received meals from Mama’s Kitchen since July 2021, after a registered dietitian with the Department of Veterans Affairs referred him to the program to help manage his health. He was diagnosed with AIDS in the early 1980s and continues to live with multiple chronic medical conditions.
The milestone delivery was made by Eva Matthews, chief executive officer of Mama’s Kitchen, and April Heinze, a retired U.S. Navy captain who serves as president-elect and vice president of the organization’s board of directors.
During the visit, Matthews and Heinze said military culture — which often emphasizes self-reliance, resilience and service to others — can make it difficult for some veterans to seek or accept assistance, even when confronting serious health challenges.
“Many veterans take great pride in their independence and may hesitate to seek support for basic needs such as food, health care or financial assistance,” Matthews said. “Services specifically designed to support those who have served their country are critical.”
Organizations like Mama’s Kitchen play a vital role by delivering medically tailored meals directly to people with serious illnesses, including veterans, ensuring access to appropriate nutrition while helping clients maintain dignity and independence. Highlighting milestones such as the 14 millionth meal underscores the scale of the program and draws attention to the barriers veterans often face in accessing essential resources.
The need is especially significant in the region. San Diego County is home to an estimated 240,000 veterans, one of the largest veteran populations in the nation. Veterans make up about 13% of Mama’s Kitchen’s client base, and the organization expects to serve 375 veterans with serious illnesses this year alone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, veterans are more likely than nonveterans to experience multiple chronic conditions, a major driver of increased health care use and costs. Among veterans ages 65 and older, 67% have multiple chronic illnesses, compared with 60% of nonveterans, the CDC reports.
Mama’s Kitchen prepares and delivers more than 900,000 medically tailored meals each year to residents throughout San Diego County living with serious and chronic illnesses. Each meal is designed by registered dietitians to meet specific medical and nutritional needs.
“Every meal is created to support better health outcomes and help people maintain their quality of life and independence,” Heinze said.
Heinze began volunteering with Mama’s Kitchen in 2020 as a delivery driver and joined the organization’s board in 2022. For several months, she personally delivered meals to Wanzo, pausing her volunteer work while undergoing treatment for a recent cancer diagnosis. Both Heinze and Wanzo are military veterans who have faced serious health challenges, a shared experience the organization says reflects the community at the heart of its mission.
For more than 35 years, Mama’s Kitchen has partnered with health care providers across San Diego County to integrate nutrition into clinical care. The nonprofit works with more than 400 medical referral partners and Medi-Cal managed care plans to ensure meals are incorporated into treatment and recovery.
The organization reports measurable outcomes from its medically tailored meals program. Last year, 92% of clients reported stable or improved health, 88% reported better adherence to medications, and 82% reported fewer emergency room visits or hospitalizations.
Wanzo said the service has made a significant difference in his daily life. Without it, he said, managing his health would be far more difficult and stressful.
