GMHC And Jarry Magazine To Present A New Culinary Event: 'Savor The Season'

On Thursday, December 10, GMHC and Jarry Magazine will present "Savor the Season," featuring a pop-up, multi-course, family-style dinner prepared by James Beard nominee Chef Steven Satterfield of Atlanta's Miller Union. The event benefiting GMHC's Meals programs is produced in partnership with Jarry, a new print magazine that celebrates the art of gay domesticity. The evening will be hosted by award-winning writer, bon-vivant, window dresser extraordinaire and celebrity fashion commentator, Simon Doonan.

"Every year, GMHC serves nearly 81,000 hot, nutritious meals in our Peter Krueger Dining room, and this service not only gives life-sustaining food, but also helps eliminate the isolation so many people living with HIV face everyday," said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie. "GMHC created 'Savor the Season' to both draw much-needed attention to the link between nutrition, hunger and treating HIV and AIDS, as well as raising critical funds to allow us to sustain our meals program. In addition to our hot meals, GMHC's Meals Program includes the Keith Haring Food Pantry, which distributes pantry bags of groceries to our clients that allow them to cook nutritious meals for themselves and/or their families at home. These bags of groceries will generate nearly 30,000 meals per year; but sadly the ever-increasing cost of food, combined with cuts to food stamps and other support programs, has created a 300-person waiting list for our food pantry. Events like 'Savor the Season' literally help GMHC feed people every single day."

Simon Doonan has worked in fashion for over 35 years and is an author of six books including his latest book, 'THE ASYLUM: a collage of fashion reminiscences...and hysteria,' a collection of stories from his years in the fashion industry. He�has written regularly for The New York Observer, The Daily Beast, and currently writes a biweekly humor column for SLATE.com.

Doonan has won many awards for his groundbreaking and unconventional window displays, including the�the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award. In 2009, he was invited by President and Mrs. Obama to decorate the White House for the holidays. In 2010, he was commissioned by Target to design the season's Halloween costumes. Doonan lives in New York City with his partner, the ceramicist and designer Jonathan Adler and their rescue-dog Foxy.

Steven Satterfield is the Executive Chef of Miller Union in Atlanta, Georgia, and the author of "Root to Leaf, A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons." He cooks with the farmers harvest to create simple yet refined food that is always dictated by the seasons. Chef Steven is an active member of the progressive food community and has been a top five finalist for the James Beard Foundation's award for Best Chef - Southeast every year since 2013.

Jarry is a new print magazine that broadly explores where food and gay culture intersect, bringing together gay chefs, eaters, artisans, writers, photographers, artists, and industry influencers to celebrate community and the art of gay domesticity. Issue 1 was released in September 2015.

GMHC annually serves nearly 81,000 hot meals to thousands of HIV-positive clients in our dining facility. With a state-of-the-art kitchen, GMHC serves 300-400 hot lunch Monday through Thursday and 300-400 dinner on Friday. Meals are complimentary, and no client is turned away. Additionally, our nutritionists annually provide expert counseling on nutrition and HIV medication to hundreds of clients.

The Meals Program Chef and an on-staff registered nutritionist design the meals to ensure that food choices are balanced and nutrient-dense, reflect the latest information on HIV nutritional needs, and maximize the benefits of medication. Menu items change daily and feature a choice of a meat, vegetarian or fish entr�e, whole grain bread, salad, soup, cooked vegetables, a starch and fresh fruit. Cuisines are particularly culturally-inclusive, inspired by various cultures of the client population, including Pan Latin, soul food, Asian, and Caribbean-inspired foods.

GMHC's Meals and Nutrition program is unique in NYC. Unlike other food programs that deliver meals to the home, GMHC provides a communal and hospitable environment where clients socialize, make friends, and share experiences. Also unique to GMHC's dining room is its immediate and convenient access to our other comprehensive and life-stabilizing supportive services (e.g. legal assistance, mental health counseling, and housing support).

The Keith Haring Food Pantry Program confronts two driving forces of the HIV epidemic: poverty and stigma. To address the financial burden of hunger, our Keith Haring Food Pantry Program annually distributes nearly 30,000 food packages to disadvantaged families and individuals. Additionally, each month the pantry allocates approximately 75 "emergency" packages to individuals who are not enrolled in the pantry program, but have short-term need for food supplies.

Staffed by empathetic volunteers who are clients themselves, the food pantry alleviates the discomfort or stigma that clients may experience during their struggle with food scarcity. Pantry supplies are allocated on a choice model, which not only empowers our clients, but also teaches and reinforces healthy eating choices.

For people living with HIV and AIDS, poor nutrition severely threatens immunity, mental health, and adherence to medical treatments. Those who are malnourished are more likely to suffer side-effects and stop taking HIV medications, which can result in developing full-blown AIDS and/or the virus becoming drug resistant. A nutrient-dense diet, however, significantly reduces negative side effects of antiretrovirals, supports the absorption of all medications, and helps maintain a healthy body weight.

HIV prevention is at the core of the Meals and Nutrition and Keith Haring Food Pantry programs. HIV-positive individuals who are healthy, enjoy good nutrition, and are connected to a supportive community are far more likely to take precautions to prevent further HIV infections. GMHC marks its accomplishments by meeting its overall goal of breaking isolation and linking clients to services.

"Savor the Season" will be held from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10 at Glasshouses 14, 545 W. 25th St., 14th Fl.