Project Angel Food is a remarkable non-profit organization serving seriously ill individuals in Los Angeles County since 1989. They believe everyone deserves access to nutritious meals, especially those facing severe illnesses. Project Angel Food complements the provision of meals with nutrition counseling and human connection, which supports critically and terminally ill people. They started with a focus on providing aid to those with HIV/AIDS, and over time, they have expanded their services to include people with cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease. Their work is essential in improving the health outcomes of seriously ill individuals in Los Angeles County.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the amount of individuals experiencing food insecurity. At the height of the COVID pandemic, the issue was exacerbated with 34 percent of all Los Angeles County households reporting food insecurity. In 2022, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Project Angel Food's services surged by 42%, providing 1.5 million tailored meals to those in need. Project Angel Food has maximized its programming at its current facility and its analysis indicates that the demand for its services is projected to increase to 2 million meals tailored toward individuals experiencing sever illnesses in a few years. The County has an opportunity to partner with Project Angel Food by leveraging federal COVID-19 relief funds to expand much needed services for ill and homebound adults who are food insecure.
The ARPA funding is being used to provide a grant to Project Angel Food. Project Angel Food will use the funds to acquire and install fixtures and equipment at its facility in Hollywood in order to produce a greater number of meals in a more effective work environment and dedicate space for administrative functions. Through this, Project Angel Food will be able to increase the amount of meals served to individuals experiencing food insecruity as it increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this will alleviate some of the other expenses by Project Angel Food to fund different aspects of the program, including their policy institute.