Project Angel Food, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides free medically designed meals to residents with serious illnesses, has begun distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to customers who recently lost federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The initiative was announced on Friday by Executive Director Richard Ayoub Instagramcomes in response to cuts in SNAP benefits and ongoing disruptions associated with the federal government shutdown. Ayoub said the organization began delivering gift cards to affected customers on the same day and plans to continue through the weekend.
“Because they lost those benefits on Saturday, we started deliveries today and will continue through the weekend,” Ayoub said. “The response was overwhelming just a few hours after we started.”
Ayoub shared a message from a client, identified only as Jane from Sawtelle, who thanked the nonprofit for its support. She described the meals she received as healthier than any she had eaten before, and said the grocery card was an unexpected lifeline. According to Ayoub, she also appreciated the personal message that accompanied the gift card, calling it “very meaningful” and saying the organization “lifted the weary spirit.”
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Project Angel Food is distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to Los Angeles County customers affected by recent SNAP cuts. (Pakistan Air Force) -
Project Angel Food is distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to Los Angeles County customers affected by recent SNAP cuts. (Pakistan Air Force) -
Project Angel Food is distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to Los Angeles County customers affected by recent SNAP cuts. (Pakistan Air Force) -
Project Angel Food is distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to Los Angeles County customers affected by recent SNAP cuts. (Pakistan Air Force) -
Richard Ayoub is the Executive Director of Project Angel Food, where he oversees the nonprofit’s efforts to provide meals and emergency support to seriously ill Los Angeles County residents. (Pakistan Air Force) -
Project Angel Food is distributing $100 Ralphs grocery gift cards to Los Angeles County customers affected by recent SNAP cuts. (Pakistan Air Force)
The grocery card effort is the latest in Project Angel Food’s long history of responding to food insecurity throughout Los Angeles County. The organization was founded in 1989 by Marianne Williamson as an outreach program for the Los Angeles Life Center, and was originally created to provide meals to people with HIV/AIDS. It has since expanded to serve men, women and children with a range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Today, Project Angel Food serves more than 1.5 million meals each year, and has served more than 18 million meals since its inception, according to its report. Website. The organization relies on a network of approximately 4,700 volunteers and is funded through a combination of individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, government support, and special events.
Deliveries are made exclusively within Los Angeles County. Residents who are unable to prepare their own meals due to illness can apply for the program through the nonprofit’s customer services hotline at 323-845-1810. Those interested in volunteering can contact the organization’s volunteer department at 323-845-1816 or visit the website angelfood.org.