Ashley McCumber, a gay man who has served as CEO of Meals on Wheels San Francisco since 2007, will soon leave the agency to return home to his native North Carolina to become the president and CEO of a food bank there.

McCumber is expected to depart Meals on Wheels SF in mid-October, a news release stated. His new job will be leading the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The fifth executive director and CEO of Meals on Wheels SF, McCumber is its second longest tenured, the release stated. Under his leadership, the agency grew from a $4.5 million operation serving 1,200 clients per day and delivering 523,000 meals per week to a $23 million operation serving almost 4,000 clients per day and delivering more than 2.4 million meals a year, according to the release. In addition to daily meals for seniors and homebound adults with disabilities in San Francisco, Meals on Wheels delivers groceries to 490 clients each week in partnership with the SF-Marin Food Bank, according to the release. Meals on Wheels also recently expanded its home-delivered meals program to North San Mateo County.

"Meals on Wheels has never been stronger and more ready to drive impact and improve the lives of our clients," stated board Chair Rosemary T. Wong. "Our next leader will inherit a thriving organization with a stellar reputation, a strong staff, a topflight board, and a loyal donor and volunteer base. We know that we will attract someone who can pick up where Ashley has delivered us and carry the organization into the future as we continue to advance our mission."

McCumber, 60, stated that it was a hard decision to leave, but he will be closer to his family.

"Over the past 15 years, we have built a world-class organization with a can-do attitude," he stated. "I have spent a quarter of my life at MOWSF, my heart is full of pride and love for this community, and I know the organization is primed for even greater success.

"I am blessed to be able to have my professional and personal life come full circle — moving back home to continue to serve and end hunger while being close to my family," he added. "The Meals on Wheels mission to help people age in the community has now intersected with my own reality."

The agency's board has retained Koya Partners, the nation's premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven organizations, to conduct the search for the next CEO, according to the release. It is expected that the search will take several months, and the existing leadership team will manage Meals on Wheels with the assistance of the board's executive committee, until the new CEO takes the helm.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously noted, McCumber was one of the members of the city's LGBT Aging Policy Task Force several years ago. In a 2019 Guest Opinion piece, McCumber wrote that one of the things he was able to do at Meals on Wheels was to have the agency begin collecting self-reported data on clients who identified as LGBTQ and began to build cultural competence. He noted at the time that not a lot of agencies serving seniors did that.

Since the COVID pandemic, Meals on Wheels opened a new $42 million state-of-the-art kitchen, the Sangiacomo Flynn Building, at 2230 Jerrold Avenue in November 2020. It will open a new headquarters building next door in January, the release stated. Meals on Wheels currently produces between 10,000 and 13,000 meals daily from the kitchen, nearly double the amount it was able to produce before the facility opened, the release stated.

For more information on Meals on Wheels SF, click here.

Castro Theatre to hold HIV film screening

An advance screening of "NOVA: Ending HIV in America" will be held Sunday, September 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street in San Francisco.

A news release noted that national HIV prevention and care efforts have taken the country from a peak of 130,000 HIV infections annually in the mid-1980s to approximately 34,000 in 2020. The film looks at efforts in Birmingham, Alabama and San Francisco and how scientists and affected communities came together to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It looks at the potential for innovative drugs and scientific breakthroughs, along with public health partnerships that remain needed to end HIV in America.

Following the screening there will be a question and answer session with director Shayon Mitra, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and Cecilia Chung, a trans woman living with HIV who sits on the San Francisco Health Commission. Ben Plumley, host of "A Shot in the Arm" podcast, will facilitate.

The suggested donation for the screening is $20 and all proceeds benefit the San Francisco Community Health Center. The event is presented by the health center, along with the Global Health Reporting Center and the Ikana Health Action Lab.

The film will premiere on PBS September 21.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for the screening can be purchased here.

Different Spokes San Francisco, the long-standing LGBTQ cycling club, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this weekend with two events.

The club will hold a 25-mile group ride in San Francisco Saturday, September 17, starting at 10:30 a.m. at 18th and Castro streets outside the Bank of America building. The ride will approximate the old AIDS Bike-A-Thon fundraiser that the club started in 1985 and went through 1994 when the former AIDS Ride and the current AIDS/LifeCycle began. While there doesn't seem to be an exact route map available, members noted on the club's website that they know the general form of the route.

The group will start in the Castro, as did the original, and head to Golden Gate Park and up to the Presidio before turning south to the Great Highway and then around Lake Merced. The ride then returns to Golden Gate Park and the Castro.

This is a no-drop ride, meaning no one will be left behind due to mechanical problems, flats, nature breaks, accidents, and emergencies. Members of the group will drop back to ride with slower riders.

There is no fee but pre-registration is required and can be done here.

On Sunday, September 18, the club will hold an anniversary party at Il Casaro Pizzeria, 235 Church Street (between Market and 15th) from 4 to 8 p.m.

There will be a meal and program that will look at club highlights. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is expected to present a proclamation from the city.

The cost for the dinner is $55 per person and pre-registration is required due to capacity limits. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Cat show coming to Cow Palace San Francisco drag artist Heklina will join Loving Cats Worldwide founder and international cat judge Steven Meserve for the LCWW Cat Extravaganza at the Cow Palace Arena and Event Center in San Francisco September 23-25. The event features an international cat competition where judges will stage, present, and reward the most beautiful cats in the world, a news release stated, adding that it's "a family furr-iendly event to meet the most beautiful cats in the world and have fun with other cat fanatics." "Um, I can't believe I get to do this! Literally my dream gig," Heklina, a cat parent herself, noted in a Facebook post. Meserve and Heklina will present a lineup of demos and speakers in Kitty Corner, where visitors can also meet their favorite cats on the catwalk. The Kitty Corner stage will also feature professionals on subjects like "How to Groom Your Cat" and "What to Consider When Acquiring a Kitten." Among the various different breeds at the event will be some favorites such as the Bengal, British Short Hair, Maine Coon, and Sphynx. Shopping stalls will also be available, where attendees can purchase treats for their own cats. Tickets are $25 for older children and adults (12-65); $20 for seniors (65+); and $15 for kids (5-12). A family four-pack for two adults and two children is $60. To purchase tickets, click here. The Cow Palace is located at 2600 Geneva Avenue. Maitri seeks pet entries for calendar Speaking of cats — and dogs — Maitri Compassionate Care is now seeking photos of cute pets for its 2023 Maitri's Mutts and Meows Charity Calendar. There are two calendars available, one for canines and one for felines. Each features 13 pets from Maitri's community of supporters, volunteers, staff, and clients. Funds raised by the sale of the calendars goes to help Maitri hospice people living with HIV/AIDS and those recovering from gender affirmation surgery have a place to heal. Maitri is asking for photos of pets only — no people — and winning pets and their owners will receive a free calendar. For more information and to submit a pet, click here. Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.

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