Siloam Wellness, a nonprofit founded to serve those living with and affected by HIV, is hosting its annual gala fundraiser on Oct. 30 at Springfield Country Club in Springfield, PA. The event — which will include a cocktail hour, seated meal, dancing, photo booth, silent auction, and more — is dedicated to Patrick J. Burns, a donor who has helped feed thousands of people through Siloam each year.
All proceeds from the gala will benefit Siloam’s food pantry, which was launched by Sarina DiBianca, the organization’s executive director, when she arrived at Siloam 10 years ago. Siloam receives food and other pantry items from a variety of sources. But DiBianca said Burns, who owns Burns Family Neighborhood Markets, is always just a phone call away when she needs help meeting specific needs. The company operates The Fresh Grocer and some ShopRite supermarkets across the Greater Philadelphia area.
“When we have a need or request — unlike anyone else that we work with, we have action immediately,” DiBianca said. “He’s hands-on that way.”
Burns often donates prepackaged salads, proteins and pricier items many people wouldn’t be able to afford to buy for themselves. It’s nutritious meals, DiBianca underlined, rather than cheaper options that could cause long-term diet-related health problems.
“Food is medicine,” she added. “If we can feed you healthily and properly, you won’t be in this building as often for your health care because you’re sick. You’re coming because you need your health checkup once a year, which is what we want to see.”
The pantry has seen a dramatic increase in need this year. DiBianca first noticed the jump following changes in SNAP eligibility and cuts to funding for wrap-around services.
Last year, Siloam served approximately 400 people per month with pantry services. This year, it’s nearly 800 and some months well over 1000. In 2025, Siloam filled a total of 6,649 pantry orders — but the organization had already filled more than 6,500 orders during the first six months of 2026.
It’s donors like Burns who make it possible to meet the new demand. Shawn Francis, the organization’s director of programs, underlined that it’s difficult to find funding right now due to grant restrictions.
Sister Bernadette Kinniry and Father Don Reilly founded Siloam in 1996 to support people living with and affected by HIV, recognizing that stigma left many without access to support. The organization takes a holistic approach to physical and mental health, incorporating spiritual practices into its care. The organization set out to care for more than the body, offering a place where people’s emotional and spiritual needs were taken as medical needs.
For many of the people Siloam serves today, managing HIV and other chronic conditions on a tight budget makes reliable access to nutritious food essential to staying well.
“If you’re a mom or a dad that cannot feed your children, you’re not going to take your medicine. You’re not going to go buy your medicine,” DiBianca offered as an example of the competing priorities people living with HIV face. “You’re going to put every penny and resource that you have into meeting the needs of your children.”
Siloam offers individual counseling, spiritual direction, grief, trauma and other support groups — including an emerging opportunity related to young LGBTQ+ adults — as well as wellness activities such as breathwork, massage, Reiki, yoga, chi kung and Pilates.
Siloam was founded to serve those living with and affected by HIV, and centers its work on trauma-informed care alongside HIV wellness, awareness and advocacy.
It also serves a broader population now — including the wider LGBTQ+ community and those without LGBTQ+ experiences. Francis explained that those who need the support don’t have to endure a pile of paperwork or long wait times to get connected to services.
“Just come on by!” Francis said.
Siloam’s pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Family Health Services building (850 N. 11th St) in the Callowhill neighborhood.
Many who attend Siloam’s wellness programs are first introduced to the organization through its pantry. Francis emphasized that while meeting basic needs is essential, programs that support mental and spiritual health are also important.
There’s no right or wrong way to engage. DiBianca simply hopes the organization can have a meaningful purpose for those who give its programs a try. She said some people participate in Siloam’s programs temporarily while getting back on their feet, while others stay for years because they value the wellness initiatives. Some even return as volunteers.
Francis said the connections people make at Siloam can endure long after they leave its programs.
“If they need that sense of community and that family again, they remember us, and they come back, and it’s like they never left,” Francis said.
Siloam Wellness will host its 31st Anniversary gala 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Springfield Country Club, 400 W. Sproul Rd., Springfield. Tickets can be reserved
online.
