Granny’s Earrings

It all started when Scott stopped coming into the restaurant. He ate breakfast at the Mission Hills diner, The Huddle, every day because he was living with AIDS and was too sick to cook for himself. On one such visit, he confided in the owner, Ruth Henricks, "If I'm not here, I'm not eating." So when he suddenly stopped showing up, naturally, she was concerned. If he couldn't make it into the restaurant, she knew that his condition must have deteriorated, so she wanted to bring him something to eat. Unfortunately, she didn't know where he lived, or even his last name, so all she could do was ask around and hope that someone would eventually lead her to him. She even put up a sign hoping to solicit some information about his whereabouts, but to no avail. This situation, coupled with her love of cooking and a desire to make a difference in the HIV/AIDS community, prompted Ruth to band with a group of friends to prepare and deliver meals to people like Scott who could no longer nourish themselves. Thirty five years later, Special Delivery San Diego (SDSD) is still 100% volunteer-driven. They prepare hundreds of wholesome, nutritious meals per day, which they deliver to medically home-bound people living with AIDS, Cancer, and other health conditions. They also operate a food bank out of their offices, where their clients can shop when they are strong enough to do so.

When my friend Isa and I showed up at SDSD early one Friday morning, they were surprised to see us. I had called a week prior to make an appointment to volunteer, but apparently, word didn't get around, so by the time we arrived, they had a kitchen full of volunteers making breakfast for their clients. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't help make the meals, but they scrambled to find us a task and got us situated in the front office. After a few moments, a woman sat down at the desk opposite us and struck up a conversation. Before we knew it, 45 minutes had flown by, and we were completely entranced by her. It turned out that we were talking to the founder, Ruth Henricks. She told us the story of how the organization started and all of the plans that she had for the future. As food and nutrition majors at San Diego State University, Isa and I started brainstorming ways that we could help.

One of Ruth's goals was to offer her clients a variety of fresh, organic produce. She thought that by connecting with local organic farms, she could glean donations of fruits and vegetables that she could pass on to her clients. As members of The Culinary and Food Science Club on campus, we had the opportunity to visit a local organic farm that supplies farmers’ markets and restaurants throughout San Diego County. We told Ruth that we would speak to them about her organization and see what they could do. The young woman who facilitated the tour was kind enough to talk to the owners on our behalf, and a couple of emails later, SDSD was able to offer its clients fresh, locally grown vegetables from Suzi's Farm to enrich their diet. All it took was a modicum of effort, but something good was accomplished. There was just something about Ruth. She got people fired up to be of service. Just think of what you could do to make an impact on your community if you put your mind to it!

I continued to volunteer for Special Delivery San Diego every Friday morning to pack breakfasts and lunches throughout the rest of my time at college and beyond, until I got my first job as a health coach. Why was I so invested in this experience? Long story short (God forbid I should wax "maudlin" regarding her declining years), my Grandmother was one of those people who was critically ill, home-bound, and barely feeding herself. Fortunately for her, she had a loving family to intervene and care for her. But quite a bit of time went by when none of us knew what was going on - because for whatever reason, she was keeping her condition a secret - and her circumstances were taking a toll on her health. Unfortunately, she has since passed away, but that experience made me acutely aware of how quickly the quality of someone's life can be affected by poor nutrition. Believe it or not, it took me a while to recognize what was truly compelling me to volunteer at this remarkable organization. It finally hit me one day when I was talking to Ruth. I'm not saying that she reminded me of my Grandmother exactly, but in glancing at her earlobes, my eyes widened as I realized: she was wearing my Granny's favorite earrings.

Originally published October 13, 2010 and has been lightly edited to update content