Kyle MacLachlan’s wife, Desiree Gruber, is responsible for his involvement with the God’s Love We Deliver organization.
MacLachlan, 66, told Us Weekly exclusively at God’s Love We Deliver’s New York City headquarters earlier this month that the charity — which was founded in 1985 as a response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City — “really resonated” with Gruber, 58, who lost her older brother to AIDS.
“I didn’t know her brother, but she has obviously spoken about him, so she has a strong connection there,” MacLachlan explained to Us. “I learned about the organization through my wife and Blaine Trump, who’s a friend, and she just told me a little bit about what it was.”
After hearing about Gruber’s volunteer work, MacLachlan felt like it was “a really worthwhile” cause and followed suit.
Gruber has been on the God’s Love We Deliver Board of Directors since 2001. She spoke candidly about losing her older brother, Jeff, to AIDS in an open letter published via the charity’s website on World AIDS Day in 2020. (Jeff was diagnosed in 1988 when Gruber was 20 years old. He died months later.)
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God’s Love We Deliver aims “to improve the health and well-being” of those living with serious illnesses, including heart disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer. The non-sectarian NYC-based nonprofit helps alleviate “hunger and malnutrition” by providing free, medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling to New Yorkers affected by severe and chronic illness. They recently delivered their 40 millionth meal.
“I love the idea that it’s all about a simple process. We make food, we get it to people, and hopefully it makes them feel better,” MacLachlan continued. “Along the way, there’s a nice interaction or a personal interaction between the people who bring the food and the people who are not able to get out of their house. It’s a win-win.”
MacLachlan and Gruber have also gotten their son, 17-year-old Callum, involved in giving back. “He has a great empathy within him, and he genuinely feels for people and their situations,” the actor told Us. “And as parents, we lead by example. So Desiree’s lead is my lead as well. He sees what we do and [what] the people around him [do].”
It isn’t just family who inspired MacLachlan to volunteer. He revealed that a publicist he worked with early on in his career was also impacted by the AIDS crisis. “It was at the time when no one knew what the disease was … and [he] passed away,” MacLachlan recalled. “I can’t imagine there’s anybody in the world who doesn’t know someone who’s been affected by this disease.”
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MacLachlan was at the God’s Love We Deliver headquarters on June 25 with his wife and her Full Picture production company.
“It’s really fun, especially when groups do it. Obviously, Full Picture is here, Morgan Stanley’s over here. There’s no competition, of course,” the actor told Us about his volunteer work. “It’s nice to be able to sit and do something out of the office. Food brings people together. Even preparing it brings people together.”
For MacLachlan, getting to put his passion for cooking to good use is an added bonus.
“I love to cook. I love to prepare. I love to make stuff, especially for my family,” he told Us. “My dad was my way in. He loved putting time in the kitchen. He was a very good cook. … My dad was truly at home in the kitchen. And so, we all, my brothers, my two brothers, are all comfortable in the kitchen.”
To donate, volunteer or refer a loved one for meals, visit glwd.org.
