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Heart of Dinner is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (tax ID 85-2676806) that addresses food insecurity and isolation among Asian American seniors living in severely under-resourced communities. We provide care packages of culturally thoughtful food, handwritten notes and artwork, and moments of companionship to nourish the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of those we serve. Join us in spreading warmth, love, and compassion to those who need it most. Thank you for your tremendous support and enabling our mission to continue impacting the lives of our communities. ​

Heart of Dinner Inc.

Attention: Kent Seton

269 S. Beverly Drive, #338

Beverly Hills, CA 90212​

  • To donate, click on the donate button below. We are thrilled to share that the fundraising platform we work with allows for donations via credit cards, bank, PayPal, Venmo, Google Pay, stocks, donor advised funds, and more! 

How to donate

Our Impact

  • We have provided approximately 150,000 meals to seniors in New York City since our inception reaching elderly living alone in neighborhoods throughout Chinatown, Lower East Side, Midtown, Harlem, Brooklyn, and Queens.

  • By purchasing each hot meal, our partnership with a rotating group of local restaurants supported the livelihood of many restaurant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has helped to ease their transition into the post-pandemic era. We are proud to share that as of the post-pandemic era, our restaurant partners have expressed that serving our seniors have instilled a sense of renewed purpose and passion for their contributions to the restaurant industry.

  • We are proud to say that while we work to end hunger and loneliness, we also strive to provide relief to small businesses. Through our small business partnerships, we procure food ingredients that not only nourish the bodies of our seniors but also uplift their spirits. We believe that in caring for our seniors and supporting our small businesses, we can spread love and hope to those who need it most.

  • We aim to cultivate a warm and loving environment for our community of volunteers that transcends cultural differences and spreads empathy and compassion. Through our volunteer initiatives, we promote diversity and inclusion, and believe that everyone has something unique to offer.

  • We believe in minimizing food waste and have implemented a zero-waste policy in our operations. We coordinate food rescue whenever possible because we know that every effort counts. We are currently in the beginning stages of researching sustainable compostable food containers. Our goal is to continue to prioritize the well-being of our seniors and being mindful of our planet, and we are proud to be taking steps to make a positive impact.

  • Nearly 25% of Asian Americans in New York live in poverty, and the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the history-long inequities facing the Asian American population. Many seniors in this population live in socio-economic, language, social, and technological isolation, and the 'model minority' stereotype falsely portraying Asian Americans as a wealthy and successful group exacerbates the issue. Heart of Dinner has made a significant impact on the Asian American senior community in New York City since its inception in 2020.

  • The homebound 65+ year old seniors whom we serve are unable to access essential resources, leading to food insecurity, loneliness, and depression that can result in various detrimental health concerns. To address this issue in innovative ways, Heart of Dinner prioritizes the Elderly recipient’s dignity by providing culturally appropriate meals and companionship with attention to the culturally nuanced details.

  • At Heart of Dinner, to successfully achieve our mission on a weekly basis, we:

    • Thoughtfully select senior-friendly, nutrient-dense hot lunches and fresh produce using ingredients commonly found in Asian immigrant households. We support local small businesses by procuring these items from them.

    • Next, we rally and mobilize individuals from all walks of life across the globe to decorate our bags with uplifting artwork and pen handwritten notes in the elderly's native language. Through this volunteer initiative, we foster an intergenerational community of volunteers that transcends cultural differences and spreads empathy and compassion.

    • We believe that human connection is essential. That's why we then assign our multilingual volunteers to make weekly reminder phone calls to our beloved Elderly community about their upcoming care package delivery. These calls are an opportunity for our volunteers to engage in warm and encouraging conversations with the seniors, providing them with a meaningful human connection. Our volunteers check in on their well-being, chat with them about their day, listen to their updates, or simply provide a listening ear. We encourage our volunteers to engage in friendly conversations and express their appreciation for the senior recipients. By doing so, we hope to alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation and spread love and kindness to both our volunteers and the ones we serve.

    • Finally, we put all the personal touches together to create our signature Heart of Dinner care packages by organizing volunteers to assemble the bags and hand-deliver door to door to make each Elderly recipient feel seen and cared for. Through our efforts, we aim to address the inequities faced by homebound elderly who are unable to access essential resources vital for survival and a life with dignity. It is our hope that our care packages bring warmth, love, and companionship to those who need it most.

Why donate to Heart of Dinner?

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