Here’s your chance to splurge on a great meal and feel good about it: The annual HIV fundraising event Dining Out For Life (#DOFL) kicks off in nearly 20 cities around the nation Thursday, April 24, with other cities holding events on different dates throughout the year.
Over a thousand participating restaurants—including pizza joints and food trucks—donate a portion of their proceeds for the day to local organizations that help the HIV community. These include LGBTQ centers, food banks, HIV service providers and more.
Sadly, in 2025, HIV service providers need your support more than ever. Many are facing dire financial setbacks as a result of the Trump administration’s extensive budget cuts, including the withholding of grants that support HIV programs.
But now you can step up, pull up a chair to the table and help out by dining out. Each year, according to Dining Out For Life, over 50 HIV service organizations partner with over 2,400 eateries, 4,100 volunteer and 300,000 diners to raise over $4.5 million.
Visit DiningOutForLife.org to see whether your city participates and which restaurants are involved on which days. Plus, you can learn more about the HIV organizations in your neighborhood.
For example, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Jacksonville, Florida, DOFL event, which supports the Northeast Florida AIDS Network and its Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry. Last year, the pantry provided 15,388 meals to nearly 600 unique visitors.
“Dining Out For Life is more than a fundraising event—it’s a statement of solidarity, visibility and action,” said Amna Osman, CEO of Nashville CARES, an HIV service provider. “By simply enjoying a meal out, our community helps us provide life-saving health care, prevention services and wraparound support to those who need it most.”
Below is a list of upcoming dates, organized by cities and regions that work together to support the same HIV service provider.
APRIL 24, THURSDAY
- Albany and Northeastern, New York
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Birmingham
- Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Florida
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Chicago
- Connecticut
- Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Pueblo
- Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, Florida
- Indianapolis
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Minnesota
- Norfolk and Hampton Roads, Virginia
- Palm Springs, California
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- South Sound, Washington
- Tampa
- Washington, DC
APRIL 30, WEDNESDAY
San Francisco Bay Area
MAY 1, THURSDAY
Nashville
JUNE 12, THURSDAY
St. Louis
JUNE 26, THURSDAY
New Orleans
