The new year will see new leadership at God’s Love We Deliver, which delivers nutritious cooked meals to the homes of New Yorkers living with HIV and serious illnesses. David Ludwigson was named the organization’s new president and CEO, effective January 1. Karen Pearl, who has led the nonprofit for 16 years, will take on the role of adviser on key projects, according to a God’s Love We Deliver announcement.

Launched in 1985 to help feed New Yorkers homebound with AIDS, the organization expanded its mission over the years to provide free medically tailored meals and meet the nutritional needs of people with other illnesses, including those isolating with monkeypox.

As the video below details, the staff at God’s Love We Deliver cook and deliver over 10,000 meals each day.

This month, the organization announced it would supply meals to individuals diagnosed with monkeypox who are isolating at home. “Anyone in the NYC metropolitan area isolating with a monkeypox diagnosis is eligible to receive our nutritious, home-delivered meals for a 30-day period,” read a God’s Love We Deliver statement that includes a link to apply for services. The statement clarified that clients isolating with monkeypox “do not need to meet our standard eligibility requirements (our standard requirements include needing to be diagnosed with a severe and/or chronic illness and being physically limited in shopping and cooking).”

In a blog post about her decision to step down at the end of the year, Pearl writes: “Being president and CEO of God’s Love has been a true honor. Over the past 15 years, we have grown in every way possible, built our beautiful building, weathered the challenges of COVID, increased the visibility of our organization, quadrupled the number of meals we cook, package and deliver, and so much more.”

On the board’s choice of Ludwigson, currently the organization’s vice president and chief development officer, as the next president and CEO, Pearl adds: “David brings more than 25 years of experience to this role. Before joining the staff in April 2007 as chief development officer, David was a volunteer in our kitchen for many years and then a funder of our services through the Ford Motor Company. He has played many key roles in the growth of God’s Love and is deeply committed to our mission, program, clients and staff. He has strong relationships with hundreds of donors. He has been part of setting the goals and strategies for God’s Love over many years, fully embraces our DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility] efforts and is ready for this important career next step.”

To learn more about the organization, click #God’s Love We Deliver. You’ll find a tribute to its founder, Ganga Stone, who died last year, and an article on an initiative with Amida Care to deliver medically tailored meals.