March 27, 2022
Jay Wennington/Unsplash
48 restaurants are participating in Action Wellness' 32nd annual 'Dining Out For Life,' which supports Philadelphia residents living with HIV. A portion of proceeds at all of the participating businesses will go to support the organization.
Dining Out For Life — the annual fundraiser for Philly residents living with HIV — has been a tradition in the city for more than 30 years.
This year, the one-night-only effort is back after a two-year pandemic hiatus, with 48 restaurants participating around the city. For the last two years, in lieu of a dine-out night, Action Wellness has encouraged community members to donate to the organization in order to directly support those living with HIV in Philadelphia.
On April 28, head out to an expansive list of popular restaurants in the city, and a portion of food and drink sales will be donated to Action Wellness in support of the organization as well as dining spots continuing to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
The fundraiser was established in 1991 by Action Wellness, a supportive health organization focused on providing trauma-informed preventative and supportive health care services to those living with HIV in Philadelphia.
Action Wellness began as ActionAIDS in 1986 at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, providing essential health care services to its community. Since then, the group serves more than 4,000 clients with more than 400 volunteers and 100 staff members.
"Some of those volunteers go with clients to medical appointments," Kevin Burns, executive director of Action Wellness told WHYY. "They provide phone support, face-to-face support, help them with food shopping and transportation. There's a whole range of things that those volunteers do that has a really significant impact on the bottom line for our clients living with HIV."
The fundraiser is a small supportive effort for the group's ability to operate. Prior to the pandemic, Dining Out For Life brought in $200,000 to Action Wellness annually.
Bud & Marilyn's, Buddakan, Continental Midtown, El Vez, Parc, Stina, and Talula's Garden are among the restaurants participating in the fundraiser. The full list of participants is available here.
Those who want to donate to Action Wellness directly can do so through the organization's website. Action Wellness also has an ambassador program, which allows for a hybrid model of in-person dining and online fundraising similar to the efforts made by the organization throughout the pandemic.
Thursday, April 28, 2022
All day | Pay-as-you-go
48 participating restaurants in the Delaware Valley
