Northeast Florida AIDS Network (NFAN) is excited to present the 21st Annual Dining Out For Life® Jacksonville, benefiting the Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry on Thursday, April 16, 2026. We invite everyone to enjoy great food and drinks while supporting local participating businesses that support the community. When you dine out on April 16, your meal or drink becomes an act of kindness. Your support helps the Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry provide food assistance to low-income individuals living with HIV across Northeast Florida. In 2025, NFAN provided meals to 920 unduplicated individuals, a 53% increase from 532 in 2024. With your help, we can feed even more people in need.
What is Dining Out For Life®? It is a yearly nationwide event held on a single day to raise funds, bringing communities together and highlighting the generosity of local restaurants, bakeries, bars, food trucks, ice cream shops, and breweries that support the mission and services of the Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry.
How It Works: On April 16, visit participating partners during their operating hours, buy a meal or drink, and they will generously donate at least 25% of that day's sales to the Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry to help keep shelves stocked year-round.
We are excited to partner with Action News Jax as our media partner. They are proudly supporting us with trusted community voices, Tenikka Hughes and Trevor Gibbs, who will serve as official Dining Out For Life Jacksonville spokespeople. Their involvement helps raise awareness about our event and emphasizes the critical issue of fighting hunger and addressing food insecurity among low-income individuals living with HIV throughout Northeast Florida.
Mark your calendar and invite friends and family to join us for Dining Out For Life® Jacksonville on Thursday, April 16.
Together, we can ensure that no one has to face hunger alone.
Follow us @DOFLJax | #DOFLJax #DineOutSaveLives #DiningOutForLife #nfanjax
The NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry is a vital resource for individuals living with HIV in Northeast Florida. NFAN has made the pantry accessible to anyone with HIV, regardless of where they receive other services.
The pantry was founded by Mary H. Lewis, who began volunteering at NFAN in 1990. Recognizing a critical need, she launched the food pantry. Mary reached out to grocery stores and restaurants to collect as much food as possible and organized the pantry so individuals living with HIV could access it. This initiative was significant at the time because HIV medications often came with strict instructions regarding timing and consumption and could cause severe side effects. Having readily available food was essential for those managing their treatment.
Today, as grocery prices surge, the NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry is more in demand than ever, fulfilling an essential role in our community. With your generous support of Dining Out For Life® Jacksonville on Thursday, April 16, 2026, NFAN will continue its vital mission to ensure that no one living with HIV in Northeast Florida goes hungry alone.
PARTNER
We do all the work! Whether you're an event partner or a restaurant/bar partner, we offer comprehensive marketing services and collaborate with our media partner Action News Jax to amplify your brand's reach across Northeast Florida. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be part of a distinguished network of businesses that share your vision for positively impacting the community.
DINE
Bring your family and friends to enjoy meals at participating restaurants and bars on Thursday, April 16, 2026, and feel proud knowing your support helps provide meals to those in need through NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry in Northeast Florida. Your participation makes a real difference in our community. Make plans now to join us as we #DineOutSaveLives
VOLUNTEER
Being a Dining Out For Life® Jacksonville Ambassador is a rewarding and enjoyable experience! Your role is vital to the event's success. The task includes promoting the event, inviting family and friends to dine at your assigned location on Thursday, April 16, 2026, welcoming diners and encouraging them to participate in our raffle with a grand prize of a $1,000 Visa Gift Card. Click below to sign up!
DONATE
The NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry is a community-funded program at NFAN. Funds raised through Dining Out For Life, the event raffle, and donations help keep life-changing assistance available year-round to someone in need right here in Northeast Florida. Thank you for being so supportive.
Tenikka Hughes
Action News Jax - Anchor
Tenikka Hughes is an evening anchor at Action News Jax. She anchors the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. weekday newscasts on CBS47 and the 4, 6:30, and 10 p.m. newscasts on FOX30. Tenikka is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and has received several honors from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists, including Best Anchor. She is also proud of her contribution to the Action News Jax team's regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Large Market Television. Tenikka has a passion for storytelling and providing information that impacts the lives of viewers and their families. Her career in television news spans nearly 20 years. During that time, Tenikka has earned a reputation as a key contributor and compassionate leader.
Tenikka is a youth literacy and education advocate. She has volunteered countless hours speaking to children and reading at local schools, libraries, daycares, and community events. Tenikka is the driving force behind “Tenikka’s Books for Kids,” an annual book collection initiative that’s put nearly 20,000 free books in the hands of local children since its inception in 2018. The books are given to children who meet their summer reading goals while participating in the Jacksonville Library’s Summer Reading Program. As a result of her advocacy and service, Tenikka has been honored with the Mary J. Brogan Leadership Award from the Florida Literacy Coalition and the Media Friend of Education Award from the Florida State Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators. Her work has been featured on a variety of national media outlets. Tenikka's research has also been published in the Journal of Health Communication.
Tenikka is from the small town of Whitakers, North Carolina. She graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications from Benedict College, a historically Black college in Columbia, South Carolina. She also earned a Master's in Journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park. Tenikka enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants with her husband.
Trevor Gibbs
Action News Jax - Meteorologist
Trevor Gibbs is a First Alert Meteorologist for Action News Jax. He joined the First Alert Weather Team in October 2022 after helping with coverage during Hurricane Ian a month earlier. You can watch his forecasts on weekend mornings and regularly throughout the week.
Trevor is a native of the South Carolina Lowcountry and grew up in Summerville. He graduated from the College of Charleston with degrees in meteorology and physics and a minor in communication. After graduating, he spent some time in the Hudson Valley of New York, providing forecasts and routes for ships worldwide. In 2020, he returned south and served as a weekday morning meteorologist on WFXG's five-hour morning show in Augusta, Georgia.
Trevor loves coffee and is a proud dog dad to a black Labrador retriever named Austin. Trevor is an avid yoga practitioner and currently teaches at a beach studio.
Join us and our partners on Thursday, April 16, 2026, as we Dine Out For Life®, supporting the NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry.
We are now signing up restaurants, bakeries, bars, food carts/trucks, ice cremeries and breweries to participate in Dining Out For Life® Jacksonville supporting the NFAN Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Together, we can build a healthier, more compassionate community where no one has to go hungry alone.
If you are a business and would like to participate, please click the link below or contact us at 904-356-1612 or dofl@nfanjax.org.
We will be updating our partners as they sign up. Please bookmark this page for updates!
ATHENIAN OWL
Donating: 25% w/Alcohol
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 7 Years
9551 Baymeadows Rd. #21-23 32256
904-503-3008
BB'S RESTAURANT & BAR
Donating: 25%
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 18 Years
1019 Hendricks Ave. 32207
904-306-0100
BISCOTTIS
Donating: 25%
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 21 Years
3556 St. John's Ave, Avondale, 32205
904-387-2060
CARMINES PIE HOUSE
Donating: 25%
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 15 Years
2677 Forbes St., Riverside, 32204
904-387-1400
EUROPEAN ST. SAN MARCO
Donating: 25% w/Alcohol
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 7 Years
1019 Hendricks Ave. 32207
904-306-0100
HOT DOG JEN
Donating: 100%
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 4 Years
2703 Park St., Riverside, 32205
Located right in front of Walgreens
INCAHOOTS NIGHTCLUB
Donating: 50%
DOFL Bar Partner: 2 Years
711 Edison Ave, Brooklyn, 32204
904-353-6316
LOLA'S BURRITO JOINT
Donating: 25%
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 14 Years
1522 King St. 32205
904-738-7181
TULUA BISTRO - JAX BEACH
Donating: 25% w/Alcohol
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 5 Years
798 3rd St. S. Jax Beach 32250
904-372-0915
TULUA BISTRO - SPRINGFIELD
Donating: 25% w/Alcohol
DOFL Restaurant Partner: 3 Years
1703 N. Main Street, Springfield, 32206
904-372-0915
Have Questions? We are here to help; please email us at dofl@nfanjax.org and a member of our team will be in contact with you.
Hungry for More? Check out the Dining Out For Life® website.
® Registered Trademark of Amplify Network / Dining Out For Life® International