Three hours on a Sunday afternoon.

San Mateo’s Second Fight Against Hunger Event

Yields more than 50,000 meals in its first year

Franchisees go above and beyond during one of the worst hurricane seasons in recent memory Dream Dinners recognized two standout franchisees at this year’s national convention. When their communities were faced with natural disasters, these franchisees met the challenge head-on with a spirit of service and generosity. No Power in Pinecrest? No Problem. - Heart of Service Award Winner Nina Ortiz Pinecrest, Fla. franchisee Nina Ortiz works year-round to get families back around the dinner table. She also has three children and manages to juggle sports and after-school activities, so she understands the importance of sitting down as a family to enjoy a nourishing meal. When Hurricane Irma hit, the Pinecrest team prepared for the worst knowing many members of their community might be affected. The Dream Dinners store lost power for about 48 hours. When it was restored, one freezer was still not working properly and all of the meat in the store was rapidly thawing. They had a decision to make: either donate the food or toss it. Instead of just throwing the food away, Ortiz acted quickly and made a Facebook Live post in which she offered it all for free to anyone who needed it.

Dream Dinners is excited to announce that Living the Dream Foundation is changing its name to Dream Dinners Foundation. “We feel this name change will make it easier to connect with our customers and supporters,” said Tina Kuna, Dream Dinners co-founder and creator of the Dream Dinners Foundation. “The mission of the Foundation remains the same.” The Dream Dinners Foundation, developed from a deep commitment to serving local communities through acts of service, will continue to function as the non-profit arm of Dream Dinners. There are several ways you can show your support for the Dream Dinners Foundation today, #GivingTuesday, and throughout the year: Dream Dinners Foundation “Meal of the Month” – Each month, one dollar from every “Meal of the Month” sold in participating Dream Dinners stores will be donated directly to the Dream Dinners Foundation. When you add the Meal of the Month to your Dream Dinners order, everyone benefits. You’ll not only enjoy a delicious meal with your family, but you’ll help make a measurable difference in the fight against hunger worldwide. To check out the Meal of the Month, select your store and click on “view menu. Fight Against Hunger – The Dream Dinners Foundation will continue to function as the heart and funding source of Fight Against Hunger meal packaging events. Fight Against Hunger events bring together hundreds of families and friends to package meals for those in need, both locally and abroad in food-insecure countries such as Tanzania and Haiti. Be sure to check the Dream Dinners Foundation website regularly to find volunteer opportunities near you. Donate – Any amount helps us achieve our goals. Just 25 cents can provide one meal for a child, helping to reverse the effects of malnutrition. To learn more, visit https://dreamdinnersfoundation.com/donate/ .

TUSTIN, CA – The Tustin Dream Dinners team came together with Living the Dream Foundation to host the community’s first Fight Against Hunger meal packaging event last month. More than 200 volunteers, which included staff, families, customers, and area students, packaged more than 45,000 non-perishable meals.

The Wheat Ridge Dream Dinners team recently hosted their second Fight Against Hunger event. Hosted at the Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, approximately 350 eager volunteers of all ages spent their Saturday morning packing more than 50,000 non-perishable meals. Specifically designed to help reverse the effects of malnutrition, the meals include rice, protein, vitamins, and dehydrated vegetables. About one-third of the meals were distributed to Denver’s Action Center’s Prosperity Project, which helps individuals in need break the cycle of generational poverty by transitioning into housing. The remaining meals will go to Haiti, which has been hit hard by major hurricanes. Volunteers were also able to raise nearly $20,000 for the Arvada food bank.

The last few weeks have been tough on Texas, Florida and the Gulf Coast. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma made landfall back to back, causing extensive damage; even affecting members of our Dream Dinners family. Despite our communities being evacuated and closed stores, our team reacted quickly to aid those needing assistance. We talk about being committed to serving others through our mission, but events like this showcase how our dedicated franchisees do this without thinking twice about it. Pinecrest, FL Dream Dinners Donates More than $4,000 in Inventory to Community Nina Ortiz, owner of the Pinecrest Dream Dinners, understood the impact and potential liabilities that Hurricane Irma would soon deliver to her community. Watching the storm pass through on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, the inevitable finally happened—no power. When the power went out, so did her store’s six fully-stocked refrigerators filled with prepared meals, sides and desserts. Anticipating a full loss of inventory, she quickly turned to social media to offer all of her Dream Dinners sides and meals her team prepped to anyone who stopped by.

Dream Dinners Tustin is hosting a Fight Against Hunger event Sunday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. Dream Dinners Tustin co-owner Erin Mike is organizing the event. The event will be hosted at the Dream Dinners in Tustin and the team hopes to package 45,000 meals that day. About 15,000 of the meals will be distributed locally to the Second Harvest Foodbank of Orange County, with the remaining 30,000 meals going abroad to Haiti. During the event volunteers will assemble food packages that have been scientifically designed to reverse the effects of malnutrition and starvation.