MHASF Supports the Statewide Community of California

After the wildfires impacted Los Angeles this January, MHASF signed up to volunteer for recovery efforts. We sent a team of five staff to volunteer with Project Angel Food in LA. Our experience was a tremendous example of how collective support can impact our statewide community of California.

Who is Project Angel Food?

During the orientation we learned that project Angel Food prepares and delivers more than 1.5 million medically tailored meals each year, free of charge to the homes of men, women, and children affected by life-threatening illnesses. It was declared an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Project Angel Food has expanded to meet the moment and the need throughout Los Angeles County to deliver medically tailored meals and nutritional counseling services to more than 2,400 people per day. This is an increase of 54% from pre-pandemic numbers.  

From there, the number of clients Project Angel Food had been serving steadily increased to 2,700 clients daily in the LA area BEFORE the impact of the fires. Since the wildfires, that number has gone up to 3,000 – a big increase of 300 clients a day seemingly overnight. That type of growth in the span of only a few years requires a lot of community support to sustain the growth!  

Outreach for Community 

After we wrapped up orientation, it was time to work! The pace in the kitchen was fast and joyful. It was like an episode of “The Bear”, except everyone was happy and had healthy communication skills.  

It felt good to chat with other volunteers about what brought them to volunteer. Some volunteers were between jobs and looking for something positive to do, while others had worked in restaurants previously and just wanted to help out in their community. From college students to seniors alike, one thing everyone shared was the joy of helping and connecting with the community. 

Honorable Mentions

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined volunteers throughout Los Angeles in supporting survivors in February. 

'In times of crisis, Californians always step up to support one another with love, compassion, and service. Today, we honor Dr. King’s enduring legacy by showing up for Angelenos in crisis — volunteering our time, sharing resources, and offering kindness to those impacted by the devastating fires. This is California Love, and together, we are California Strong." – First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom 

Food to Fuel the Soul

All in all, we cut some quiche, scooped beans and veggies, and placed a whole lot of nutrition labels. All of the hard work felt rewarding knowing that people would have healthy, supportive, personally packed meals showing up to their doors very soon.  

The act of providing food to support people living with serious health issues highlights a specific community need and aligned with MHASF’s values of self-directed support. We were doing work to support others with tools to take their wellness into their own hands. 

If you’re inspired by our supporting the local community and want to know how you can help, consider making a donation to MHASF today!  Your donation helps us continue providing peer based, self-directed support to Californians wherever they are at. Learn more: https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/donate 

See more about our trip here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHpGrO7vX2t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==