NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 445
4950 Washington St. Denver, CO 80216
foodfor thought SPRING 2013
Chefs Focus On Nutrition (and Tastiness!) in Efforts to Help Clients Thrive by Melinda Bezdek, PR and Communications Intern, Spring 2013
Everyone knows that good nutrition is important, but for clients at Project Angel Heart, healthy and delicious food can enhance quality of life and increase chances of improving health. “The foods our clients eat are the building blocks for recovery and maintaining health. Recovery is much harder without nutritious meals,” said Logan Lafferty, Project Angel Heartʼs modified meals specialist. But not every client needs the same building blocks. Sixty‑seven percent of Project Angel Heart clients require meals modified to fit their own particular dietary needs. This is especially important for clients with renal disease. “Renal disease can be a hard one. People with this disease cannot filter out the potassium in their food and potassium buildup affects the heart,” Lafferty said. So Project Angel Heart steps in to help these clients by taking extra measures to ensure potassium levels are minimized. For example, if a meal contains potatoes, a food high in potassium, Project Angel Heart chefs dice the potatoes, soak them overnight, and then blanch them before cooking in order to leach out the high levels of potassium.
KEY DATES
Clients with cancer may also need modified meals, but for a different reason. “Cancer treatment can change our clientsʼ taste buds and reduce their appetites,” Lafferty said, “so they may choose meals that are lower in seasoning or our ʻnakedʼ diet, which is completely bland.” For clients fighting cancer, this can make digesting food easier and may be their best chance to get the nutrition they need. Project Angel Heart is unique in offering meals modified in this way for cancer patients.
March 1‑29: Breakfast cereal drive Drop off boxes of cereal at Project Angel Heart or donate online during our March cereal drive (more info inside). March 27, 6 pm: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver
Good nutrition is the first step, but taste is equally important. Executive chef Jon Emanuel has that covered. Emanuel estimates that Project Angel Heart has between 300 and 500 mouthwatering recipes, and he is constantly developing new ones.
April 6, 11 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Colorado Springs April 13, 10 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver April 25: Dining Out for Life® Dine out at one of 300 participating restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner and 25 percent of your bill will support Project Angel Heart!
Photo: Danielle Scott on Flickr
May 4, 11 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Colorado Springs
ProjectAngelHeart.org 303‑830‑0202 | 800‑381‑5612 Facebook.com/ProjectAngelHeart Twitter.com/proj_angelheart
May 11, 10 am: New volunteer orientation – Denver May 16, 1 pm: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver May 17, 6 pm: Art for Life Join us for an evening of hors dʼoeuvres, cocktails, wine, desserts, good company, and fine art.
Emanuel grew up in a home that nurtured culinary experimentation. His father was an excellent in‑home chef and encouraged Emanuel to taste food from all over the world. This has informed Emanuelʼs culinary career: he makes sure to draw on both local flavors and flavors from around the world for each recipe he creates. “Itʼs all healthy,” Emanuel said, “but it has to be delicious too.” Variety and mouth‑watering flavors help persuade Project Angel Heartʼs clients to eat more, giving them the nutrition they need and a better chance at recovery.
From Our Clients I am a great lover of food and even a little bit picky. Your meals are so good that I find myself thinking ʻI would go out for this if I could go out!ʼ And, theyʼre helping me keep on weight and make everything so much easier. –Eleanor, living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and type 2 diabetes
These meals taste so good, I thought, ʻThere's no way theyʼre renal and diabetic!ʼ Theyʼre delicious! –Carl, living with end‑stage renal disease and type 2 diabetes
Thank you all...I get transported all around the world in the dishes I eat. Your loving hands make every nutritional intake a very meaningful experience. If I would rely on my own cooking, I would skip meals, eat poor and do without. –John, living with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C
Thank you all for the wonderful dinners; these meals are simply delicious. The use of international cuisine makes me grateful beyond description. And, they make me want to eat again. Food is like medicine, it keeps the body working and healthy...Your program is life affirming. –Glenda, living with lupus
“ʼFood as medicine,ʼ itʼs a quote from Hippocrates, and thatʼs how we think of it,” Emanuel said. “We believe, and the proof is in the pudding, that feeding our clients the way we do gives them a better chance at improving their health.”
To register for a new volunteer orientation, please visit www.ProjectAngelHeart.org/volunteer.
OUR MISSION: Delivering nutritious meals to improve quality of life, at no cost, for those coping with life‑threatening illness.
Illness Saps Strength, But Not Spirit, of Supporter‑Turned‑Client
New Spring Date for Art for Life May 17, 2013, 6‑10 p.m.
by Melinda Bezdek, PR and Communications Intern, Spring 2013
Abend Gallery | 2260 E. Colfax Ave
You never know when you might end up on the receiving end of a program you once supported as a volunteer or a donor. It happened to David.
From the President & CEO Dear Friends, Thereʼs nothing more sacred than your trust in us. Thatʼs why it is especially gratifying when we get a little outside recognition for the less “glamorous” aspects of our work... things like financial health, governance, transparency and accountability. Last month, we were honored to once again receive a 4‑star rating from Charity Navigator, Americaʼs largest independent charity evaluator. It is the eighth time that Project Angel Heart has earned this top rating in the last nine years. Charity Navigator has been recognizing fiscally responsible organizations with 4‑star ratings since 2002. In 2011, they added a second dimension, accountability and transparency, to the rating methodology. The new metrics continue to recognize organizations with financial strength while also highlighting organizations with “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and those that freely share basic information about their organization with donors and other stakeholders. Because we care as deeply about earning your trust as we do about providing delicious and nourishing meals to Coloradans in need, we are proud to be one of only 51 nonprofit organizations in Colorado that currently hold a 4‑star rating. Thank you for believing in us, trusting us with your investments of dollars and time, and helping to keep us lean and efficient. Together, we are making a difference for our neighbors fighting cancer, end‑stage renal disease, HIV/AIDS, heart and lung disease, and other serious illnesses! Many thanks for doing your part in this effort.
Erin Pulling, MNM President & CEO
2 Project Angel Heart 2013 Spring Newsletter
He and Project Angel Heart go way back, back to the days when the organization was just a budding nonprofit operating out of the kitchen of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. “Twenty years ago, when Project Angel Heart was starting, I had a catering business in Denver,” David said. “One of my chefs told me about the organization and asked for a food donation.” David did his research on Project Angel Heart and was impressed. “It just grabbed me,” he said. David became one of Project Angel Heartʼs first donors. With a personal mission that includes feeding people, itʼs not surprising that David was attracted to Project Angel Heart. His mother cultivated a love of food in him that flourished into a forty‑year career. Along with the catering business in Denver, David owned restaurants in Winter Park and Grand Lake, and earned himself a place in the Colorado Foodservice Hall of Fame. To add to his culinary accomplishments, David also collaborated with his mother on a cookbook, Homemadely Yours, which is currently in its fourth edition. After a long and fulfilling career, David left the food and beverage industry for retirement. Unfortunately the stress‑free life of a retiree did not await him. Not long after selling his business, David was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, as well as liver disease. His medical bills piled up fast and his only option for insurance cost $5,000 a month, more than he could afford. “My funds were depleted. I lost my condo and I sold everything I could, but I still ran out of money,” David said.
Project Angel Heart is gearing up for our 12th annual Art for Life event on Friday, May 17, at the Abend Gallery in Denver. Donʼt miss out on this opportunity to bid on works from many well‑known artists while sipping cocktails and sampling a variety of gourmet hors dʼoeuvres and desserts.
Guests enjoy the outdoor patio at Abend Gallery during Art for Life in 2012. Photo: McBoat Photography.
Breakfast Cereal Drive Ends March 29 Due to rising costs, we are critically low on breakfast cereal for our clients who receive breakfast bags. We need your help to make sure that these clients, individuals who need extra nutrition to successfully manage or beat disease, can count on a healthy breakfast each week.
David, one of Project Angel Heartʼs original donors and a current client, then and now.
“I appreciate Project Angel Heart for the work they do. I hope my contributions through Art for Life will bring attention to their cause,” said Robert Spooner, a long‑time Art for Life participating artist. “For those who ask ʻwhy should I attend?ʼ, if it is not just for the charitable nature of giving, come on out to enjoy an evening of art and people with a lot of soul!” Visit www.ProjectAngelHeart.org to buy your tickets today!
Dine and Be Oh‑So Divine at Dining Out for Life® 2013! Denver‑native and Project Runway All‑Star winner Mondo Guerra is Dining Out for Life in Denver on Thursday, April 25, and so should you!
Not only did his illness drain his bank account, it also sapped his energy. “I usually just sit on the couch now with my dog. I donʼt have the energy I used to,” he said. But that hasnʼt stopped David completely. He still works two days a week with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “I love that job. Itʼs terrific and very fulfilling,” David said. Despite his illness, David said, “I am happy.” He isnʼt just saying it; he means it. Heʼs got a flare of positivity. A recent fall left him sore and bruised, but David shrugged it off saying, “Well, thatʼs showbiz.” In February of 2012, David returned to Project Angel Heart, but this time as a client. Meals from the organization have helped give David the strength to continue to contribute to his community and keep up his positive attitude. “Project Angel Heart is a real blessing,” David said. “Itʼs been wonderful for me, and the food is very good.”
The vibrant works of art donated by more than 100 talented local, regional, and nationally renowned artists bring passion and benevolence to this annual event.
During the month of March, we will be accepting donations of standard‑size boxes of low‑sugar, whole grain cereals such as Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Special K, Bran Flakes, etc. (please, no bulk‑size or single‑serving boxes). Many of our clients are unable to cook meals for themselves, so having cereal on‑hand is ideal as it can be eaten at any time of day and doesnʼt require any preparation. Help us reach our goal of collecting 2,500 boxes of cereal! Grab an extra box or two while shopping or bring in an extra box from your pantry to help us feed those in need. Cereal donations can be dropped off at Project Angel Heart (4950 Washington Street, Denver, 80216). Canʼt get to our building? Make a cash gift online at www.ProjectAngelHeart.org/cereal‑drive. Thank you, and please spread the word to your family, neighbors and friends!
“Dining Out for Life is our opportunity to celebrate friends, food and being truly fabulous in helping others,” says the designer, who revealed his HIV‑positive status on Runway and has since become a forerunner in HIV/AIDS advocacy. On this one day alone, 300 metro Denver restaurants will donate 25 percent of their food sales to Project Angel Heart. This year, weʼre excited to announce a new partnership with Denver‑based Forkly, a mobile food app that helps diners around the world find and share favorite dishes and drinks. Based on your likes and dislikes, Forkly will show you the best dishes at participating Dining Out for Life restaurants. Download the Forkly app at www. Forkly.com (itʼs free!).
Project Runway All‑Star winner Mondo Guerra. Photo: Jeff Ball.
Volunteer ambassadors are still needed to help us make Dining Out for Life a success. If you are willing to help greet and thank diners at participating restaurants during a breakfast, lunch or dinner shift, visit the Dining Out for Life page on our website or call 303‑830‑0202. Recruit a friend to work your shift with you and make it a fun night (or day) out! Mark your calendar for April 25, make plans to dine out or volunteer with us, and be part of one of the tastiest fundraisers of the year!
(303) 830‑0202 | (800) 381‑5612 | www.ProjectAngelHeart.org 3
Illness Saps Strength, But Not Spirit, of Supporter‑Turned‑Client
New Spring Date for Art for Life May 17, 2013, 6‑10 p.m.
by Melinda Bezdek, PR and Communications Intern, Spring 2013
Abend Gallery | 2260 E. Colfax Ave
You never know when you might end up on the receiving end of a program you once supported as a volunteer or a donor. It happened to David.
From the President & CEO Dear Friends, Thereʼs nothing more sacred than your trust in us. Thatʼs why it is especially gratifying when we get a little outside recognition for the less “glamorous” aspects of our work... things like financial health, governance, transparency and accountability. Last month, we were honored to once again receive a 4‑star rating from Charity Navigator, Americaʼs largest independent charity evaluator. It is the eighth time that Project Angel Heart has earned this top rating in the last nine years. Charity Navigator has been recognizing fiscally responsible organizations with 4‑star ratings since 2002. In 2011, they added a second dimension, accountability and transparency, to the rating methodology. The new metrics continue to recognize organizations with financial strength while also highlighting organizations with “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and those that freely share basic information about their organization with donors and other stakeholders. Because we care as deeply about earning your trust as we do about providing delicious and nourishing meals to Coloradans in need, we are proud to be one of only 51 nonprofit organizations in Colorado that currently hold a 4‑star rating. Thank you for believing in us, trusting us with your investments of dollars and time, and helping to keep us lean and efficient. Together, we are making a difference for our neighbors fighting cancer, end‑stage renal disease, HIV/AIDS, heart and lung disease, and other serious illnesses! Many thanks for doing your part in this effort.
Erin Pulling, MNM President & CEO
2 Project Angel Heart 2013 Spring Newsletter
He and Project Angel Heart go way back, back to the days when the organization was just a budding nonprofit operating out of the kitchen of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. “Twenty years ago, when Project Angel Heart was starting, I had a catering business in Denver,” David said. “One of my chefs told me about the organization and asked for a food donation.” David did his research on Project Angel Heart and was impressed. “It just grabbed me,” he said. David became one of Project Angel Heartʼs first donors. With a personal mission that includes feeding people, itʼs not surprising that David was attracted to Project Angel Heart. His mother cultivated a love of food in him that flourished into a forty‑year career. Along with the catering business in Denver, David owned restaurants in Winter Park and Grand Lake, and earned himself a place in the Colorado Foodservice Hall of Fame. To add to his culinary accomplishments, David also collaborated with his mother on a cookbook, Homemadely Yours, which is currently in its fourth edition. After a long and fulfilling career, David left the food and beverage industry for retirement. Unfortunately the stress‑free life of a retiree did not await him. Not long after selling his business, David was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, as well as liver disease. His medical bills piled up fast and his only option for insurance cost $5,000 a month, more than he could afford. “My funds were depleted. I lost my condo and I sold everything I could, but I still ran out of money,” David said.
Project Angel Heart is gearing up for our 12th annual Art for Life event on Friday, May 17, at the Abend Gallery in Denver. Donʼt miss out on this opportunity to bid on works from many well‑known artists while sipping cocktails and sampling a variety of gourmet hors dʼoeuvres and desserts.
Guests enjoy the outdoor patio at Abend Gallery during Art for Life in 2012. Photo: McBoat Photography.
Breakfast Cereal Drive Ends March 29 Due to rising costs, we are critically low on breakfast cereal for our clients who receive breakfast bags. We need your help to make sure that these clients, individuals who need extra nutrition to successfully manage or beat disease, can count on a healthy breakfast each week.
David, one of Project Angel Heartʼs original donors and a current client, then and now.
“I appreciate Project Angel Heart for the work they do. I hope my contributions through Art for Life will bring attention to their cause,” said Robert Spooner, a long‑time Art for Life participating artist. “For those who ask ʻwhy should I attend?ʼ, if it is not just for the charitable nature of giving, come on out to enjoy an evening of art and people with a lot of soul!” Visit www.ProjectAngelHeart.org to buy your tickets today!
Dine and Be Oh‑So Divine at Dining Out for Life® 2013! Denver‑native and Project Runway All‑Star winner Mondo Guerra is Dining Out for Life in Denver on Thursday, April 25, and so should you!
Not only did his illness drain his bank account, it also sapped his energy. “I usually just sit on the couch now with my dog. I donʼt have the energy I used to,” he said. But that hasnʼt stopped David completely. He still works two days a week with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “I love that job. Itʼs terrific and very fulfilling,” David said. Despite his illness, David said, “I am happy.” He isnʼt just saying it; he means it. Heʼs got a flare of positivity. A recent fall left him sore and bruised, but David shrugged it off saying, “Well, thatʼs showbiz.” In February of 2012, David returned to Project Angel Heart, but this time as a client. Meals from the organization have helped give David the strength to continue to contribute to his community and keep up his positive attitude. “Project Angel Heart is a real blessing,” David said. “Itʼs been wonderful for me, and the food is very good.”
The vibrant works of art donated by more than 100 talented local, regional, and nationally renowned artists bring passion and benevolence to this annual event.
During the month of March, we will be accepting donations of standard‑size boxes of low‑sugar, whole grain cereals such as Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Special K, Bran Flakes, etc. (please, no bulk‑size or single‑serving boxes). Many of our clients are unable to cook meals for themselves, so having cereal on‑hand is ideal as it can be eaten at any time of day and doesnʼt require any preparation. Help us reach our goal of collecting 2,500 boxes of cereal! Grab an extra box or two while shopping or bring in an extra box from your pantry to help us feed those in need. Cereal donations can be dropped off at Project Angel Heart (4950 Washington Street, Denver, 80216). Canʼt get to our building? Make a cash gift online at www.ProjectAngelHeart.org/cereal‑drive. Thank you, and please spread the word to your family, neighbors and friends!
“Dining Out for Life is our opportunity to celebrate friends, food and being truly fabulous in helping others,” says the designer, who revealed his HIV‑positive status on Runway and has since become a forerunner in HIV/AIDS advocacy. On this one day alone, 300 metro Denver restaurants will donate 25 percent of their food sales to Project Angel Heart. This year, weʼre excited to announce a new partnership with Denver‑based Forkly, a mobile food app that helps diners around the world find and share favorite dishes and drinks. Based on your likes and dislikes, Forkly will show you the best dishes at participating Dining Out for Life restaurants. Download the Forkly app at www. Forkly.com (itʼs free!).
Project Runway All‑Star winner Mondo Guerra. Photo: Jeff Ball.
Volunteer ambassadors are still needed to help us make Dining Out for Life a success. If you are willing to help greet and thank diners at participating restaurants during a breakfast, lunch or dinner shift, visit the Dining Out for Life page on our website or call 303‑830‑0202. Recruit a friend to work your shift with you and make it a fun night (or day) out! Mark your calendar for April 25, make plans to dine out or volunteer with us, and be part of one of the tastiest fundraisers of the year!
(303) 830‑0202 | (800) 381‑5612 | www.ProjectAngelHeart.org 3
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 445
4950 Washington St. Denver, CO 80216
foodfor thought SPRING 2013
Chefs Focus On Nutrition (and Tastiness!) in Efforts to Help Clients Thrive by Melinda Bezdek, PR and Communications Intern, Spring 2013
Everyone knows that good nutrition is important, but for clients at Project Angel Heart, healthy and delicious food can enhance quality of life and increase chances of improving health. “The foods our clients eat are the building blocks for recovery and maintaining health. Recovery is much harder without nutritious meals,” said Logan Lafferty, Project Angel Heartʼs modified meals specialist. But not every client needs the same building blocks. Sixty‑seven percent of Project Angel Heart clients require meals modified to fit their own particular dietary needs. This is especially important for clients with renal disease. “Renal disease can be a hard one. People with this disease cannot filter out the potassium in their food and potassium buildup affects the heart,” Lafferty said. So Project Angel Heart steps in to help these clients by taking extra measures to ensure potassium levels are minimized. For example, if a meal contains potatoes, a food high in potassium, Project Angel Heart chefs dice the potatoes, soak them overnight, and then blanch them before cooking in order to leach out the high levels of potassium.
KEY DATES
Clients with cancer may also need modified meals, but for a different reason. “Cancer treatment can change our clientsʼ taste buds and reduce their appetites,” Lafferty said, “so they may choose meals that are lower in seasoning or our ʻnakedʼ diet, which is completely bland.” For clients fighting cancer, this can make digesting food easier and may be their best chance to get the nutrition they need. Project Angel Heart is unique in offering meals modified in this way for cancer patients.
March 1‑29: Breakfast cereal drive Drop off boxes of cereal at Project Angel Heart or donate online during our March cereal drive (more info inside). March 27, 6 pm: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver
Good nutrition is the first step, but taste is equally important. Executive chef Jon Emanuel has that covered. Emanuel estimates that Project Angel Heart has between 300 and 500 mouthwatering recipes, and he is constantly developing new ones.
April 6, 11 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Colorado Springs April 13, 10 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver April 25: Dining Out for Life® Dine out at one of 300 participating restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner and 25 percent of your bill will support Project Angel Heart!
Photo: Danielle Scott on Flickr
May 4, 11 am: New volunteer orientation ‑ Colorado Springs
ProjectAngelHeart.org 303‑830‑0202 | 800‑381‑5612 Facebook.com/ProjectAngelHeart Twitter.com/proj_angelheart
May 11, 10 am: New volunteer orientation – Denver May 16, 1 pm: New volunteer orientation ‑ Denver May 17, 6 pm: Art for Life Join us for an evening of hors dʼoeuvres, cocktails, wine, desserts, good company, and fine art.
Emanuel grew up in a home that nurtured culinary experimentation. His father was an excellent in‑home chef and encouraged Emanuel to taste food from all over the world. This has informed Emanuelʼs culinary career: he makes sure to draw on both local flavors and flavors from around the world for each recipe he creates. “Itʼs all healthy,” Emanuel said, “but it has to be delicious too.” Variety and mouth‑watering flavors help persuade Project Angel Heartʼs clients to eat more, giving them the nutrition they need and a better chance at recovery.
From Our Clients I am a great lover of food and even a little bit picky. Your meals are so good that I find myself thinking ʻI would go out for this if I could go out!ʼ And, theyʼre helping me keep on weight and make everything so much easier. –Eleanor, living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and type 2 diabetes
These meals taste so good, I thought, ʻThere's no way theyʼre renal and diabetic!ʼ Theyʼre delicious! –Carl, living with end‑stage renal disease and type 2 diabetes
Thank you all...I get transported all around the world in the dishes I eat. Your loving hands make every nutritional intake a very meaningful experience. If I would rely on my own cooking, I would skip meals, eat poor and do without. –John, living with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C
Thank you all for the wonderful dinners; these meals are simply delicious. The use of international cuisine makes me grateful beyond description. And, they make me want to eat again. Food is like medicine, it keeps the body working and healthy...Your program is life affirming. –Glenda, living with lupus
“ʼFood as medicine,ʼ itʼs a quote from Hippocrates, and thatʼs how we think of it,” Emanuel said. “We believe, and the proof is in the pudding, that feeding our clients the way we do gives them a better chance at improving their health.”
To register for a new volunteer orientation, please visit www.ProjectAngelHeart.org/volunteer.
OUR MISSION: Delivering nutritious meals to improve quality of life, at no cost, for those coping with life‑threatening illness.