Diner Owner Cooks And Delivers Over 1 Million Meals For People Too Ill To Leave Home.

May 22, 2019

You could call it a life-changing encounter. A friendship formed between a diner owner and a customer has now made a difference in the lives of thousands of people.

Ruth Hendricks is the owner of The Huddle in San Diego, California. While 'restaurant owner' is her job title, she says feeding people means more to her and is, in fact, her calling. Back in 1989, during the height of the American AIDS Epidemic, Ruth met a customer named Scott, who was battling the deadly disease.

"(He) was very thin, looked kind of sick, and he told me he was living with AIDS," Ruth told CNN.

Scott began stopping by The Huddle for lunch on occasion, and he and Ruth eventually became friends. The two would sometimes chat about his illness and how it impacted his life. He admitted that most days, the only meal he had came from The Huddle. That conversation stirred something up in Ruth.

After about 18 months, Scott stopped showing up to Ruth's diner, and the owner immediately thought the worst. She wanted to reach out to her friend. However, the two never exchanged personal information. Ruth tried to find Scott, but she was unsuccessful. The restaurant owner decided never to let an opportunity to help an individual pass her by again. Thus, her non-profit organization, Special Delivery San Diego, was born.

The organization started out as a meal delivery service to people living with AIDS. It didn't take long to catch on, and soon Ruth was delivering to 75 people every day.

In 1996, Ruth decided to expand the non-profit to even more people, not just those living with AIDS. She began delivering to others who were dealing with their own illnesses, like cancer and kidney disease. Since its start, Special Delivery has served more than 6,000 chronically ill people and has delivered more than a million meals.

Ruth's good deeds continue to this day. The 75-year-old still runs The Huddle, Special Delivery and even a food pantry that serves 800 families a month. She isn't seeking any financial gain. She simply does things out of the abundance of her heart.

"It's bringing that love, that respect, that dignity to them in their last days," she said.

What do you think of Ruth's amazing act of kindness? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!