PROJECT ANGEL FOOD ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015 A WORD FROM OUR LEADERS After celebrating our 25th year of focus on creating nutritionally-based and medically-tailored meals specific to our clients’ medical condition. Strengthened service, one observation stands out among by one-on-one nutritional counseling and ongoing education, all others: that Project Angel Food was built our home-delivered meals have become a vital service in long term health care support. on a culture of love and compassion, and It is enormously satisfying to know that you are making a that is what has nurtured its growth all these difference. And we are. In addition to the eyes-on updates from our drivers, our client surveys report positive findings: 97% of many years. our clients report having improved health. 96% report their nutritional needs are being met. 100% agree the staff treats Standing on the shoulders of our founding generation and them with respect. Physicians and case managers tell us that their poignant response to the health crisis of that time, we our clients consistently respond positively to the nutritional continue to support those less fortunate than us in their time counseling we provide, which helps them make healthy food of crisis. Thanks to a committed staff, impassioned volunteers, choices when they transition off our service. and a deep belief in our mission, Project Angel Food has That’s the impact we are making and the difference you recently crossed a milestone; serving over 9 million meals to our are having by supporting Project Angel Food. Thank you all vulnerable neighbors in need. Since our founding, more than for your donations, your volunteer service, and your ongoing 18,000 people, dependent on steady nourishment, have been commitment to feed and nourish our neighbors in need. served by Project Angel Food. Sincerely, This year alone, we have cooked and delivered meals to over 2,000 people across all of Los Angeles County who count on us for their sustenance and rely on us for their nutritional needs. These people we proudly feed are battling illness and also severely limited in resources. Many live alone and have no one Joe Mannis Laurie Lang but us to shop or cook for them. Many are aging and struggling Board Chair Executive Director with chronic illness. All are coping with the daily struggles of Project Angel Food Project Angel Food life as they try to return to health. Food is Medicine, and that is why our dieticians and chefs 1 PROJECT ANGEL FOOD ABOUT US Project Angel Food has served the critically and chronically ill in the Los Angeles community since our inception in 1989. Today, we prepare and deliver more than 10,000 meals every week to people too sick to shop and cook for themselves. Over this time, Project Angel Food has grown to serve as a reliable lifeline for those diagnosed with serious diseases. We’re the trip to the store, the meal planner, the nutritional advisor, the cook and the smiling face who delivers meals right to their doorstep. We focus on healing with strength and dignity, operate with the knowledge that food is medicine, and deliver to our clients without fail. OUR MISSION: Feed and nourish the sick as they battle critical illness with nutritious meals that alleviate hunger, prevent malnutrition and return our clients to health, delivered free of charge to homes throughout Los Angeles County. ANNUAL REPORT 2014 2 OUR ORGANIZATION Project Angel Food works to serve those treatments. Vans are then loaded with this who suffer from critical illnesses in the life-sustaining food for delivery across Los Los Angeles community. Research shows Angeles County every morning. that food is medicine, and our on-staff Our objective is simple: Prepare Food, dieticians create meal plans tailored to Deliver It, and Save Lives. each person’s specific disease and medical Core Values Delivering free Providing nutrition helps healthy meals our neighbors can save focus on healing thousands of with strength Food is precious lives and dignity medicine Five Key Initiatives Strength Delivery and and Dignity Support Health Medically- Nutritional and Wellbeing Tailored Food Counseling 3 PROJECT ANGEL FOOD OUR URBAN GARDENS Two donated community lots grow fresh organic fruits, herbs and vegetables for our clients. No chemicals, no synthetics. Just real, nourishing food. Menu Items OUR KITCHEN YOGURT CHICKEN, SEASONED To prepare more than 10,000 medically-tailored meals each LENTILS & GARBANZO BEANS, week, a passionate team of full-time chefs, interns, externs and DICED CARROTS (1640) volunteers accommodate 21 different, medically-prescribed (Calories 520, Fat 25 gm, Sat. Fat 8 g, meal plans. And we have the space to expand our kitchen three Chol 192 mg, Pro 25 gm, Carbs 32 gm, times over…that’s more than 1.5 million meals a year! Sodium 664 mg, Pot 739 mg, Phos 446 mg) High energy, low cholesterol, a rich variety of calories for recovery. CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY & WINE, RICE & VEGETABLE BLEND (5576) (Calories 442, Fat 10 gm, Sat. Fat 3 g, Chol 84 mg, Pro 35 gm, Carbs 45 gm, Sodium 113 mg, Pot 460 mg, Phos 294 mg) Low in sodium and carbohydrates, flavored to perfection with wine, rosemary, and herbs from our garden. EGGPLANT PROVENÇAL WITH CARROTS & MASHED POTATOES (5126) (Calories 257, Fat 7 gm, Sat. Fat 0g, Chol 0 mg, Pro 14 gm, Carbs 37 gm, Sodium 801 mg, Pot 704 mg, Phos 65 mg) OUR DELIVERIES A rustic, low-calorie course of hearty Did you know that our food delivery drivers are the only vegetarian delicacies. people some clients talk to all week? And these are only a fraction of the potential clients we could reach in the Los Angeles County. With more resources, we can both triple our deliveries and stop to chat with more people than ever. Your meals relieve the stress I am going through with so many health issues simultaneously. It means everything to know I have at least one healthy meal each day. Thank you. — Client, living with CVA, Lupus and Diabetes ANNUAL REPORT 2014 4 For life, for love, for as long as it takes Project Angel Food was created in 1989 by a group of compassionate volunteers compelled to feed and nourish our community that suffered in silence from malnutrition and the ravages of critical illness— HISTORIC MILESTONES most prominently caused by AIDS and the HIV virus. 1994 Deliveries are expanded through 1992 drop-off centers to Elizabeth Taylor’s include Pasadena, 1990 AIDS Foundation Downtown and Project Angel provides Project greater Hollywood Food moves into Angel Food its first and over 100 the kitchen of the grant of $150,000 people call for Crescent Heights and meal demands Today, Project Angel Food meal service each United Methodist exceed the celebrates over 25 years of month. Church kitchen’s capacity. uninterrupted service to our neighbors homebound by life- threatening illnesses, including cancer, congestive heart failure, Project Angel The first “Divine Leonard Nimoy COPD/emphysema, diabetes, Food is founded Design” evening donates the first end stage renal failure, stroke/ by Marianne brings in more agency van, cardiovascular accident and Williamson as an than $1,300,000. Project Angel HIV/AIDS. Through partnerships outreach program Demand for meals Food obtains with local educational of the Los Angeles continues to grow. our first-ever institutions, community gardens, Center for Living, government grant companies, government which helps people 1991 and staffs 13 agencies and foundations we with life-threatening employees. have grown from an end-of-life illnesses. resource to a critical health and 1993 wellness ally. 1989 5 PROJECT ANGEL FOOD It’s critical, I live because of it. I have cancer so when they’re doing operations and stuff like that I literally cannot eat anything else except for this. I could not live without this. — Client, diagnosed with cancer. 2001 665 new clients 2006 enroll in our meal Wallis Annenberg 2012 delivery program, makes a $500,000 2008 Feed beads are 48 volunteer leadership grant created for sale Our new kitchen orientations train and Project Angel at our events receives a perfect more than 724 Food expands to provide 100% score from new volunteers. capacity by supplemental the Los Angeles Over 2.5 million purchasing a new income. Our 8 County Department meals have now state-of-the-art millionth meal is of Health. been served. facility. served. Our 2 millionth Our scope of work Official opening Our Project Angel meal is served. expands to serve of the new Project Food Garden Records show clients struggling with Angel Food Initiative is over 20,000 all types of critical and headquarters launched, making We celebrate people have debilitating chronic building on use of community our 9 millionth volunteered. illnesses. Vine Street gardens and vacant meal served in Hollywood plots donated by and 25 years of coincided with landowners to 1999 2004 service to our delivery of the 5 grow fresh, organic community. millionth meal. produce for our 2007 meals. 2014 2010 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 6 OUR IMPACT Now that we’ve passed our 25th year, Project Angel Food’s impact on the community is unmistakable. In serving the ill for as long as it takes, we have maintained an extensive record of accomplishments. Most importantly, we’ve made a tremendous impact in the lives of those who need help most. 500,000 18,000 Number of Los Angeles residents Average number of meals served annually served since founding in 1989 Number of meals prepared and delivered since 9,000,000 founding in 1989 10,000 21 Number of Average number different menus 1,30 0 of meals served to address each weekly