On Sunday, December 15, Heartland Alliance Health celebrated the Annual Holiday Brunch – a favorite holiday tradition. The event brings together many long-time friends, as well as new ones, during the holiday season to celebrate our participants and support our mission. This year’s event raised over $330,000 to help continue the legacy of groundbreaking and necessary Heartland Alliance Health programs. Together, we are transforming healthcare for those most vulnerable and improving the well-being of our community, including those living with HIV/AIDS.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s Holiday Brunch such a success!
We would especially like to thank our Premier Sponsor, Diana and Bruce Rauner.
You can check out our short video screened at the event and view photos from the festivities on the Holiday Brunch website. And don’t forget to save the date for next year’s Holiday Brunch: December 6, 2020 at the Hilton Chicago.
At the event, we took a moment to celebrate our 2019 Food for Life Awardees, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and M·A·C Cosmetics. Senator Duckworth was honored for her work as a champion of health equity and as an advocate for those at risk of losing access to nutritious food through administrative changes to SNAP. M·A·C Cosmetics was honored for their long-time support of Heartland Alliance Health, one of the ten original organizations M·A·C founders Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan chose to support through their Viva Glam line that supports individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS. M·A·C Cosmetics remains a cornerstone partner of HAH more than a quarter-century later. Both of our awardees truly share our vision to provide healthcare, equity, and opportunity for all – thank you and congratulations Senator Duckworth and M·A·C Cosmetics!
This year’s Holiday Brunch also marked the celebration of the 31th anniversary of Vital Bridges – a program that started when a group of passionate, caring individuals banded together to support those with AIDS who were too sick to leave their homes to join others for a holiday meal. 20 year volunteer, Pat Cummings, reflected on how these volunteers provided nutritious food along with warm smiles and welcoming conversation when others had turned away from those living with and dying of AIDS.
“It was not just a struggle for food, but for connection. And it didn’t take long for me to understand I was doing more than just feeding a person in the physical sense. I served hundreds of people – ensuring they had a full belly, friendship, and much more. We were changing lives through connections, simply by letting people know they were loved.”
Today, Vital Bridges continues to be an important resource for those living with HIV and other chronic illnesses. To date, these programs have provided more than 13.5 million meals and nearly 350,000 nutrition counseling sessions to help individuals stabilize and improve their health.
Heartland Alliance Health offers critical supports and services to those who are most vulnerable. We work to make healthcare accessible for everyone, because we believe healthcare is a human right. We ensure that those who are experiencing homelessness, mental illness or addictions, or struggling with multiple chronic illnesses, have a place they can turn to in order to receive the medical care they deserve.
We are incredibly grateful for our community of volunteers, donors, and supporters who continue to build systems for justice and equitable care. We will see you next year, December 6, 2020 at the Hilton Chicago for the next Holiday Brunch!
