Ume and Chinois participate in countywide dine and donate event Dec. 4

Food bank puts a call out for diners
On Thursday, Dec. 4, more than 80 restaurants across the county will kick off the giving season with a day of dining and donating to benefit Food for Thought, Sonoma County’s AIDS food bank. Two restaurants in Windsor, Ume and Chinois will participate.
“This is the fifth or sixth year for Ume, and Chinois has been doing it for many years as well,” said Ume owner Kelly Shu, whose sister owns Chinois Asian Bistro.
“I don’t see any better way to give back to the community than this. This is a good change to come together and give back and when they are dining they know that they are providing nutritious food to people who need it,” said Shu.
Twenty-five percent of all sales that day, for both lunch and dinner will be donated to Dine Out for Life including take out meals.
This is the 14th annual Dining Out for Life event for Food For Thought. Eighty-two Sonoma County restaurants will participate this year, donating either 25 percent or 50 percent of the day’s sales to the food bank.
“It is an important event for many reasons. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year and it is countywide,” said Daniel Gonyea, Development Associate for Food For Thought. “We have over a 100 volunteers that night.”
Dining Out For Life is an international event conducted in more than 65 cities in the U.S. and Canada, raising $4 million annually for HIV/AIDS-related services. In Sonoma County, the benefit supports Food For Thought, a nonprofit that serves 700 men, women and children living with HIV/ AIDS by providing high-quality groceries, fresh produce and nutrition services at no cost.
“Clients can choose produce, fresh fruits veggies, prepared soups, breads, milk- its like a mini grocery store. We recently added frozen veggies as a way to increase nutrient based foods as well,” said Gonyea.
Eighty-two restaurants will take part in the Sonoma County event, in the cities of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Bodega Bay, Forestville, Graton, Guerneville, Valley Ford, Occidental, Windsor and Petaluma.
“There are people in our community living with HIV/AIDS who have to choose between spending their limited money on food or on medicine. We think that’s a choice nobody should have to make, especially those who are living with a serious chronic illness” said Ron Karp, Food For Thought’s Executive Director. “There is a peace of mind and security in knowing where your next meal will come from, and that your food, because it’s healthy, is actually part of your medicine.”
HIV remains a significant challenge in our community, as more people are affected by the epidemic than ever before.
“The needs are changing for our clients the perception is that AIDS is not an issue anymore, when it is. And the stigma is that there is funding, and there is not,” said Gonyea.
For more information on participating restaurants visit www.diningoutforlife.com/sonomacounty or call 887-1647.