God's Love We Deliver, Inc.

God's Love We Deliver is a non-sectarian American nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing and delivering meals to ill residents in New York City. The organization was founded in 1985 by Ganga Stone, a hospice worker, and her roommate Jane Best, in response to the AIDS epidemic. Initially based at West-Park Presbyterian Church, God's Love We Deliver expanded over the years to provide services to individuals suffering from a wide range of chronic illnesses.

Mission

The organization's mission is to improve the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. It achieves this by providing nutritious, medically tailored meals to those unable to prepare or provide meals for themselves. Additionally, God's Love We Deliver offers illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to clients, their families, caregivers, and other service organizations.

History

In its early days, Ganga Stone and volunteers would deliver meals daily, often by bicycle, to people living with AIDS in Manhattan. Over time, more restaurants began donating prepared meals, and the organization grew rapidly. By 1993, God's Love We Deliver was serving two meals a day to 550 clients. The organization moved into its own facility in SoHo in 1995 and expanded its mission significantly in 2001 to serve individuals with conditions beyond HIV/AIDS.

Impact

As of the latest available data, God's Love We Deliver delivers over 17,000 meals each weekday, serving more than 15,950 clients annually, including those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other severe illnesses. Approximately 70% of these clients reside in historically under-resourced neighborhoods of New York City. The organization's impact includes lowering hospitalization rates, reducing readmittance rates, and improving patient satisfaction.

Operations

God's Love We Deliver operates a nearly 10,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and bakery. It employs a team of nutritionists who work with clients to develop unique meal plans tailored to their diagnoses. The organization relies heavily on volunteers, engaging over 23,000 annually and utilizing volunteer groups numbering over 680.

Milestones

By March 2024, God's Love We Deliver had delivered over 35 million meals since its inception. In 2025, it was honored to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange, celebrating more than 40 million meals served in nearly four decades.

Recognition

God's Love We Deliver has received the prestigious New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Award and continues to be recognized for its innovative approach to addressing hunger and malnutrition among the seriously ill.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God's_Love_We_Deliver [2] https://www.glwd.org [3] https://www.glwd.org/about-us/history/ [4] https://www.glwd.org/about-us/press/our-story/ [5] https://www.glwd.org/about-us/our-impact/