Every week Project Angel Food cooks, prepares, and delivers thousands of healthy meals to people debilitated by serious illnesses. In response the the non-profit’s efforts, members of the City of West Hollywood’s largest labor union, the West Hollywood Municipal Employees (WeHoME) Association, voted last week during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting to make a $5000 donation to Project Angel Food to recognize the organization’s extraordinary response during the coronavirus pandemic.
The donation was made as part of WeHoME’s #WeHoMEGivesBack initiative, which was developed as a way to thank and give back to the West Hollywood community that has been so supportive of the work performed by municipal employees.
“Every day, hundreds of local residents suffer food insecurity, and many go without any food. Supporting a nonprofit organization that is working so very diligently to deliver meals to those who may go without food during this unprecedented pandemic is simply the right thing to do,” said Jonathan Holub, President of WeHoME.
“Our City of West Hollywood municipal employees care deeply about the well-being of our community members on a regular basis in their day-to-day duties, and wanted to continue and amplify that support to our residents and our nonprofit partner, Project Angel Food, during these ‘Safer at Home’ orders,” said Kate Kigongo, Vice President of WeHoME.
“We were born in West Hollywood in 1989 and that community has always been there for us and we will always be there for them,” said Richard Ayoub, CEO of Project Angel Food. “We are incredibly grateful to the City of West Hollywood WeHoME members for their support of our mission.”
The West Hollywood Municipal Employees (WeHoME) Association, (AFSCME Local 3339) is a labor union that represents 175 employees of the City of West Hollywood, is an official local of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Project Angel Food prepares and delivers healthy meals to feed people impacted by serious illness, bringing comfort and hope every day. Created in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Project Angel Food expanded their mission in 2004 to help those who are struggling with the multiple challenges of hunger, isolation and a critical illness. Every week, they deliver 12,000 meals to 1,400 people in need from Metro, South and East LA, to Pomona, La Mirada and Long Beach, and to the remote areas of the Antelope Valley. Since 1989, they have served more than 12 million meals to more than 20,000 people.
Since 1989, Project Angel Food has prepared and delivered more than 11 million meals — currently 11,000 per week — free of charge to men and women living with critical illnesses. Project Angel Food expanded its initial mission from serving people living with HIV/AIDS to include medically tailored meals, prepared by the staff and volunteers, for those combatting cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, congestive heart disease and other illnesses. The mission has always remained intact, to feed and nourish the sick, by delivering healthy, nutritious meals throughout 4,400 square miles of LA County. More than 97% of Project Angel Food clients are living below the poverty level, and Project Angel Food is their lifeline, filling a vital need in all communities. The client demographics are testimony to this: 37% Latino, 29% African-American, 22% Caucasian, 6% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1% Native American and 5% Multicultural.
To learn more, or to volunteer, visit: angelfood.org
