Annual Report 2018-19 a LETTER from OUR LEADERS FOOD IS MEDICINE in ACTION
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Annual Report 2018-19 A LETTER FROM OUR LEADERS FOOD IS MEDICINE IN ACTION Dear Friends, Project Angel Food prepares & delivers Looking back on Project Angel Food’s Delivering meals, hope, and comfort to our healthy meals to feed people impacted by 2018/2019 fiscal year (July 1, 2018 – June 30, neighbors who are sick, hungry, and alone re- serious illness, bringing comfort and hope 2019) from the vantage point of the COVID-19 quires all of us to come together and give as every day. pandemic is both strange and encouraging. much as we can. And you did! From individuals We had no idea what new challenges were to corporations, from the public and private around the bend, but the work you helped us sectors, support for Project Angel Food from accomplish during this year is enabling us to volunteers and donors surpassed our last fis- rise to the occasion and respond decisively cal year. Volunteers donated 1,500 more hours IDENTIFYING PEOPLE IN NEED and effectively to the crisis. We’re delighted and donors generated a 5% increase in reve- Potential clients find us through our referral partners (you’ll find the to have this opportunity to revisit this very nue. Despite the growing need in the commu- full list on page 18-19), word of mouth, and online searches. Our Client productive time and the many programming nity and the looming uncertainty of the future, Services team, led by Director of Programs Robert Boller, guides each updates we implemented with the support of we know we can count on you to continue our qualified individual through the intake process, which is unobtrusive and our dedicated donors and volunteers. lifesaving mission. streamlined, and requires minimal paperwork. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for people who are sick and hungry to get the food they Our clients are the reason we’re all here, the need and the comfort and hope they deserve. reason you’re reading this letter, and getting ready to turn the page to see their faces and the faces of the people who make it possible DESIGNING MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS for us to deliver lifesaving nutrition to Ange- Upon enrollment, clients receive a one-on-one nutritional assessment lenos in need. Across 4,000+ square miles of Bobby Ralston, Richard Ayoub, with one of our registered dietitians—like Nutrition Services Manager Los Angeles County we delivered meals to 200 Board Chair Exceutive Director Alyssa Baldino—followed by routine assessments to monitor progress and more people a day and enrolled 100 more new revise medically tailored meal plans based on their malnutrition levels. clients than we did last year. However, the We offer 39 menu combinations to accommodate our clients’ dietary need for our services continues to grow and needs, including vegetarian options. Registered Dieticians monitor client we closed the year with nearly 400 people on responsiveness to meal plans, consult with clients’ healthcare case our waitlist. With your help, we can work to- managers, and analyze updated lab reports to optimize the effectiveness ward expanding service in the years to come of each client’s unique food “prescription.” while celebrating what we’ve accomplished. PREPARING DELICIOUS & NUTRITIOUS FOOD In last year’s letter, we shared the ground- All meals are prepared daily at our 8,000 square foot kitchen facility which breaking news that we’d received funding is 80% volunteer-driven. Our credentialed chefs and volunteers work from the State of California, along with our six days a week under the guidance of Kitchen Manager John Gordon. five sister agencies in the California Food is Dishes are flavorful, aesthetically pleasing, and made with high quality Medicine Coalition (CalFIMC), to launch a pilot ingredients selected by our dieticians. Meals include low-fat proteins to program aimed at reducing hospital visits for preserve lean body mass, antioxidant-rich vegetables to block the activity patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). of free radicals, and protein-rich legumes to lower cholesterol and assist in blood sugar regulation. This year we’re proud to say, with substantial startup funding from Project Angel Food Com- munity Partner and Referral Agency L.A. Care DELIVERING COMFORT & HOPE Health Plan, that the pilot program is a huge Drivers such as Tim Troester deliver seven meals (some receive 14) to success. We served 11,770 meals to 87 clients clients’ homes during the same four-hour window each week. For the with CHF and reduced their rate of hospital re- 59% of our clients who live alone, our drivers may be the only human interaction they have that day or week. In 2019, we cooked and delivered admissions by more than 5%. But most impor- 656,613 meals to 2,367 chronically and terminally ill residents in Los tantly, we improved their quality of life. Angeles County. We also provided breakfast bags to 105 children of food insecure client families. In addition to meals, our drivers conduct wellness checks and deliver gift bags on birthdays and holidays. Project Angel Food | Annual Report 2018-19 3 ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHERE WE SERVE Project Angel Food is the loving neighbor who knows that food is medicine, food is love, and food nourishes the soul. We believe no one fighting critical illness should go hungry, which is why we personally deliver, with care and compassion, free medically-tailored meals, handmade with healthy ingredients to those in our community who Antelope Valley are hungry and alone. 101 26,565 125,000 San Fernando Valley Breakfasts 338 San Gabriel Valley Served to the 137 children of clients West L.A. Metro L.A. 69 582 South L.A. 558 East L.A. 221 Miles Driven 656,613 South Bay Meals 361 Served Area Percentage Clients Antelope Valley 4% 101 East Los Angeles 9% 221 We deliver Metro Los Angeles 25% 582 Throughout 87 San Fernando Valley 14% 338 Clients in 195 San Gabriel Valley 6% 137 4,000+ CalFIMC CHF Referral South Los Angeles 24% 558 South Bay/Long Beach 15% 361 square miles Pilot Program of Los Angeles County Partners West Los Angeles 3% 69 Total 100% 2,367 Project Angel Food | Annual Report 2018-19 5 WHO WE SERVE OUR IMPACT You guys really helped me get my labs better. I didn’t know how to eat healthy. I also didn’t have the means to, and you guys helped 930 teach me. Also, I have a lot of daily Female Clients medications. Three pages worth! Having the food helps me with my medication because I have to have something to eat along with the medications. 2,367 1,405 –Client Kenosha M. Total Clients Male Clients 32 Transgender Clients PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS report are able AGE 97% % reduced food-related 92to maintain taking RACE/ETHNICITY 4% 4% 3% 35 & under stress 5% their medication .5% feel their 27% 98% 4% 7% health has improved 5% from eating our meals 38% 7% 33% 35 to 59 24% 10% 65% 60 & over 20% 17% 29% Black/African American 29% Alzheimer’s 4% 60 & Over 65% White/Caucasian 24% 36 to 59 33% Cancer 20% I learned about Project Angel Latinx 38% Congestive Heart Failure 17% 35 & Under 3% Food through my case worker at Tarzana Treatment Center. I don’t Asian/Pacific Islander 5% COPD/Emphysema 7% do a lot of cooking. I live alone, and it’s hard to put a healthy meal Unknown/Unreported 4% CVA/Stroke 4% together for myself. So this makes Native American .5% Severe Diabetes 5% it easier for me to just grab and heat. Before starting with Project HIV/AIDS 27% Angel Food, I was eating a lot of Other 7% pre-packaged foods. -Client Scott R. Project Angel Food | Annual Report 2018-19 7 OUR VOLUNTEERS CUSTOMIZED VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE Project Angel Food’s kitchen is 80% volunteer-driven, and even one day of volunteering can make Project Angel Food began offering Customized Volunteer Experiences in 2015 and since then we have a world of difference to our most vulnerable neighbors. Since 1989, we’ve delivered more than 12 partnered with over 50 corporations and organizations to create unique and meaningful volunteer million meals to 22,000+ critically ill people. This is made possible by the generosity of dedicated events in our kitchen that build camaraderie and bring medically tailored meals to the homes volunteers who help prepare meals, assist in our office, and staff our events. of those most in need in Los Angeles County. Organizations that choose a Customized Volunteer Experience double their impact by donating both funds and time to Project Angel Food. In 2019 alone, 4,500 compassionate Angele- nos pressed pause on their busy days and do- nated their time to our lifesaving work. Every single one of those volunteers is invaluable, but we wanted to highlight one in particular, Noemi Torres... She’s pictured here with her mother (who is also called Noemi) as they head out to deliver meals; something she’s been doing since 2003 after picking up a Project Angel Food postcard at Big 5. She told us, “The first time I volunteered in the kitchen, I knew I belonged there. I keep coming back because I know the impact Project Angel Food has on the community.” We’re grateful to Noemi and the other 4,499 volunteers who make our mission possible. Our first ever Customized Volunteer Experience (CVE) was designed for Disney VoluntEARS and they’ve returned 19 times since to help out in the kitchen and at special events. After a busy four hours of service in the kitchen, the group photo above was taken in front of artist Collette Miller’s famous angel wing mural.