Charlie Anthe, a longtime Lifelong supporter, lives by one mantra: putting people first. He’s been giving back to Lifelong for almost two decades to help those who are living with HIV.
“Years ago, my best friend Will since grade school died of AIDS,” said Charlie. “He was an army veteran who was facing homelessness on the streets of Las Vegas, while also living with HIV. We had lost touch and when I connected with him again, I flew down there to do everything I could.”
Charlie explained that Will was struggling to access services and that it was hard to navigate all the different needs he was dealing with.
“Will had the VA and other homeless organizations, but even so he fell through the cracks. I realized he was just another statistic.”
Will was eventually connected to an organization in Las Vegas that provided him with HIV care, a place to stay, and eventually hospice services towards the end of his life.
“I was so grateful for the help Will got and it was important for me to contribute to a similar organization in my community: that was Lifelong. I think Lifelong provides fantastic care to a very underrepresented group of individuals, filling the gaps wherever they can to help people like Will.”
Far too often, we hear stories like Will’s. Lifelong exists because society’s broken systems create marginalized communities who face illness and injustice. We fill the gaps for more than 6,000 people so they don’t have to battle stigma, judgement, or the devastating effects of illness alone.
Most of these people needed our services because of the broken systems they were faced with, whether it was not having access to nutritious food, stable housing, or other vital care that their health depends on. At Lifelong, we’ve doubled our meal and grocery services, yet it’s still barely enough to support the growing needs of our community as health disparities continue to rise from COVID.
That’s why it’s so crucial to get involved in this year’s Dining Out For Life event on Thursday, September 30—so no one has to be turned away from the critical services they need to support their best health, their best life.
“Ever since Will passed, I have done something every year to give back to Lifelong. Whether it was volunteering or fundraising for the Seattle AIDS Walk, participating as a diner for Dining Out For Life, or in the past couple of years, participating as a restaurant, it’s so important to me to support Lifelong who helps people like Will.”
Charlie and his wife Rumi Ohnui have owned Moshi Moshi, a local sushi restaurant in Ballard, for about two and a half years now and have been a dedicated Dining Out For Life participating restaurant.
“My wife and I have a mantra: put people first in everything we do. Supporting Lifelong and our community is just an extension of that. For us, we can’t imagine operating a business any other way. It’s part of our culture and who we are.”
Join Charlie and make a life-changing difference for people facing illness and injustice. Dine out or order takeout at a participating restaurant like Moshi Moshi, or simply make a donation to Lifelong by Thursday, September 30 to support our work to remove barriers to health for those who need it most.
About Dining Out For Life
Dining Out For Life on Thursday, September 30 is our biggest and most important community fundraising event, where local restaurants and the community come together to support us as we fight for health for all. Participating restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds back to Lifelong on the day of the event. Get involved by dining out or ordering takeout at your favorite participating restaurant, or simply donate to Lifelong to help us reach our ambitious goal of $150,000 to continue this vital work.
Are you a restaurant who is looking to get involved in Dining Out For Life? Let us know!