Eating Tacos (and Other Tasty Meals) For A Good Cause

This April, supporting our community is as easy as… well, going out to dinner! Thursday, April 25th, marks the 30th anniversary of ‘Dining Out for Life in Minnesota,’ so get ready to grab a meal with your pals, partner, loved ones, or yourself! 

Dining Out for Life in Minnesota is an annual event where, for one day only, more than 90 restaurants around Minnesota donate part of the proceeds from each meal they serve to the Aliveness Project. The Aliveness Project is a wonderful organization that supports people living with HIV, both socially and medically.

Sonya Bieza (she/her), the Development Manager at the Aliveness Project, says about the organization, “We have a culturally humble approach to care. We go beyond addressing the disease itself, actively identifying and breaking down barriers hindering diagnosis and empowering individuals to embrace life to its fullest. HIV is not a death sentence; rather, it’s an opportunity for resilience and thriving.” It might sound too good to be true: that buying a meal out on the town will help support our community and HIV care directly, but it really is that simple.

The Aliveness Project has created a wonderful community for people living with HIV, and its work not only supports community members, but it also works to destigmatize the disease and educate people about it. Bieza says, “We use the term member instead of patient to respect an individual’s agency and dignity. Anyone living with HIV/AIDS can become a member, and members can access services for free.”

These services include meals, groceries, phones, housing, healthcare, and so much more. Bieza elaborates, “We have an outreach team that drives around in our mobile syringe exchange van, providing harm reduction services. We even have an on-site PrEP clinic called Thrive!” The Aliveness Project goes above and beyond to make sure members feel respected and cared for, as well as a part of a thriving community. Bieza says, “One of my favorite things about The Aliveness Project is that staff, new members, old members, and volunteers all eat together. Recognizing the persistent stigma surrounding HIV, we embrace the power of shared meals.”

And Dining Out for Life is all about sharing a meal! Bieza says that “each [participating] restaurant donates a minimum of 20% of all food sales… All proceeds from DOFL-MN support services for people living with HIV provided by The Aliveness Project.” This means that the meal you buy will directly help our community. It’s a true win-win!

The Aliveness Project grows every year, and Dining Out for Life in Minnesota plays a huge part in helping them reach their financial goals. Bieza says that this past year alone, “we served 44,810 meals, distributed 286,488 pounds of groceries, and continued offering free PrEP. We drove to encampments 3 times a week delivering syringe exchange supplies, HIV tests and food, and tripled the size of our Housing Program.”

She elaborates on the growing need for the Aliveness Project: “We are currently in the midst of an HIV outbreak in the Twin Cities and in Duluth. With the rise in cases, we are serving more people than ever.” You really can make a difference this April by dining out for life. Just by enjoying a delicious meal at one of your favorite local spots, you can change lives for the better. Our community is strong, and the more we care for each other, the stronger it becomes.

There are so many delicious places you can check out for Dining Out for Life. One of the mouth-watering restaurants participating this year is LGBTQ-owned restaurant group Nico’s Taco Bar! This April will be the third year Nico’s Taco Bar participates in Dining Out for Life, and they agree that it’s a very worthy cause. Co-owner Sid (he/him) says, “We take a lot of pride in giving back to the community we exist in. As a member of the LGBTQIA community, it’s important for me specifically to help a cause that affects this same community.”

Not only will you be serving our community by dining at Nico’s on April 25th, but you’ll get a fantastic meal while you’re at it! With a menu that honors Sid’s Mexican roots, Nico’s Taco Bar leans into authentic indigenous Mexican flavors and styles. Sid says, “At Nico’s we pride ourselves on a 100% scratch, indigenous kitchen. We strongly believe in food with integrity and purpose. From our hand-roasted, stone ground salsas, to our labor intensive Nixtamal tortillas made from heirloom corn grown on small farms in Mexico, all of our items are produced from raw ingredients.”

The authenticity and attention to detail doesn’t stop at their impressive food menu; their cocktails and drinks are made with just as much care. Sid says, “We use only 100% agave tequila, mezcal, and other agave spirits, including our Pulque, a traditional, ancient Mexican beverage produced from the fermentation of the fresh agave sap known as aguamiel.” With such a drool-worthy menu, it’s not hard to dine out for life!

Supporting local businesses is important year-round, of course, but Dining Out for Life in Minnesota is a great opportunity to do two good things at once! Caring for the community really is as easy as breaking bread with your people. “Nico’s is very much your local family-owned restaurant,” Sid says. “[it] was founded in 2013 by my tío Alejandro and [his] wife Jenna, with just a small menu of tacos, salsas, and margaritas, with roots in our homeland.” In 2018, Sid and his brother “joined forces” and took over the business, expanding it to reach even more hungry guests. Sid says “We just opened up our third restaurant location this February in Southwest Minneapolis and are excited to have all three locations participating [in Dining Out for Life] this year.”

At Nico’s Taco Bar, they believe in both connecting with and giving back to the community they’re happy to be a part of. We’re all very lucky to have such a strong community that cares for each of us. So don’t miss out on all the fun, fellowship, and giving back. Sonya Bieza sums it up perfectly: “All you have to do is Dine Out! I look forward to the day The Aliveness Project can close our doors for good because we will live in a world free from HIV and AIDS. Together we can make this happen.”

Dine Out for Life in Minnesota
Thursday, April 25th, 2024
www.diningoutforlifemn.org
To participate, you can order takeout, curbside pickup, delivery, or dine in.

The Aliveness Project
www.aliveness.org

Nico’s Taco Bar
2516 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis
2260 Como Ave., St Paul
4959 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis
www.nicostacobar.com