Project Angel Food delivers hope, love, meals
CELEBRATING were Richard Ayoub, TV host Sandra Lee and Marianne Williamson.
The pandemic pushed Project Angel Food to ramp up and cook more meals than ever before — a whopping million were prepared and delivered last year, twice the number from the year before.
The increase brought a total of 14 million meals served since the nonprofit opened its doors four decades ago.
Project Angel Food founder Marianne Williamson presented the 14-millionth meal at a celebration last month at the group’s headquarters at 922 Vine Street.
Richard E., a client living with HIV, accepted the packaged meal and thanked the group for its “unconditional” support all these years.
“We feed the sick, the hungry and the alone,” Richard Ayoub, executive director of Project Angel Food, told us before the outdoor ceremony.
But “we have never forgotten our roots,” he added.
Founded in 1989 as a response to the AIDS epidemic, Project Angel Food has expanded since its beginnings to prepare and deliver medically tailored meals for anyone with critical health issues.
Today, kitchen staff and volunteers prep and deliver 2,306 meals a day to people throughout Los Angeles County.
Following a performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Grammy Award-winning singer Rufus Wainwright, Williamson took the microphone and recounted the history of Project Angel Food’s founding.
Telethon July 17
Williamson announced that Project Angel Food’s next Telethon, “Lead With Love 2021: As Long As It Takes,” will air on Sat., July 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. on KTLA 5 with performances by Gloria Estefan, Vanessa Williams and others.
“You’re not just delivering food, particularly in the early days when people who had AIDS were treated like pariahs,” said Williamson.
“Every moment we are called upon to be decent and conscious,” Williamson said.
To learn more, visit angelfood.org.
Category: People