On Wednesday, 16 cafés and restaurants in Guelph and area will give a major percentage of their lunch or dinner receipts to help those living with HIV/AIDS in the area.
A Taste For Life is a major annual fundraising event for ARCH: HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health.
As many as 500 local citizens live with the viral infection. They need a great many services and supports, and ARCH is dedicated to providing them.
Just by dining out at participating eateries on Wednesday you can contribute directly to helping others. This is the 8th annual A Taste For Life in Guelph.
“It’s a great fundraiser, but also a huge awareness raiser,” said Deanna Clatworthy, clinic coordinator and nurse at ARCH Clinic. “It’s a wonderful dinner out, and 25 per cent of your total bill is donated back to the agency.”
All diners entering the participating restaurants are informed that A Taste For Life is happening.
“A lot of people are aware of it and already booked reservations,” Clatworthy said. “But if they don’t, we have a host or hostess at every restaurant. They welcome everybody and explain the event when they arrive.”
Of the participating restaurants, Breezy Corners, Zoup! and With the Grain are lunch time venues. The remaining are supper time participants.
They include:
39 Carden Street Bistro
Aberfoyle Mill
Artisanale French Country Cooking
Atmosphere Café,
Diwa
NV Kitchen + Bar
The Bollywood Bistro
Robusta Café & Lounge
The Cornerstone
The Works Gourmet
The Cellar Pub & Grill in Elora
Brew House on the Grand in Fergus
The Spot Restaurant in Mount Forest
“We love these establishments for what they are doing, and we try to support them throughout the year because we want to thank them,” Clatworthy added. “We are just very grateful for their support. It’s wonderful that they jump in and help in this way.”
A Taste For Life began in Ottawa in 1999, and is now held in communities across Canada. Thousands of people and hundreds of restaurants take part in supporting those affected by HIV/AIDS in their communities.
Diners who want to get involved simply need to choose a participating restaurant, make a reservation early, and let the eatery know you are taking part in A Taste For Life. There are prize raffles at each participating establishment.
If you can't make the event and would like to support HIV/AIDS Resources, you can make an online donation through CanadaHelps.
“This helps support programming for anyone who is living locally with HIV or AIDs,” Chatworthy said.
The numbers remain high for HIV/AIDS prevalence in the area. When the disease first surfaced in the 80s, Chatworthy indicated that awareness of it went through the roof in the media.
“Now that HIV has become a chronic illness and is no longer a death sentence, it’s not a story the media covers very often,” she said. “So there is a lack of information about it in the community, unfortunately.”
ARCH cares for those who are HIV-positive, and also helps educate the community on how to stop transmission and reduce stigma surrounding the disease. There is a lot of lingering misinformation floating around about it.
