Project Angel Food launched its 25th anniversary celebration in grand fashion last Friday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers honored the organization during the club’s second annual LGBT Night Out.

Former Dodger Billy Bean attended the club’s second annual LGBT Night Out last Friday, when Project Angel Food was recognized. (photo by Aaron Blevins)

Prior to a victory over the New York Mets, the club paid tribute to Project Angel Food, which has served more than 9 million meals to more than 17,000 people suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

“It was a really wonderful opportunity,” executive director Laurie Lang said after being shown on the video boards alongside the organization’s board chair, Robert Bauer, and his daughter, Talia. “I can’t think of a better place than Dodger Stadium to [launch the celebration]. …We’re all a part of the L.A. community, so it’s a really great synergy.”

According to its website, Project Angel Food started in West Hollywood in 1989 as the Los Angeles Center for Living, providing meals, comfort and hospice care to people with life-threatening diseases. It was founded by Marianne Williamson.

In 1990, the center’s food program moved into the kitchen of the Crescent Heights United Methodist Church. The center officially changed its name to Project Angel Food in 1993 and moved into a former production office on Sunset Boulevard. In 1999, it served its two millionth meal.

The organization was originally founded to serve AIDS patients, but Project Angel Food began serving patients with other potentially terminal diseases in the mid-2000s. In 2006, it moved into its current location at 922 Vine St.

Today, the organization serves 2,000 people annually, delivering more than 500,000 meals per year, Lang said. She said the organization serves the critically ill throughout Los Angeles County.

“It’s been a pretty big footprint, which we’re very, very proud of,” Lang said.

She said many of Project Angel Food’s clients have multiple diagnoses. Whether the patients are undergoing chemotherapy or dialysis treatments, the organization tailors the meals to their medical needs, Lang said.

“But the bottom line is they are too sick to shop or cook for themselves, so they really rely on Project Angel Food for their nutrition,” she added.

Lang said the organization will continue to look for opportunities to expand to serve as many people as possible. She said the organization should benefit from a shift in the healthcare field that puts more of an emphasis on food as medicine.

“I think that food and nutritional services will play an ever-bigger part in the healthcare field,” Lang said. “So I think that’s the wave of the future.”

She said anyone is welcome to visit the facilities and get to know Project Angel Food. Volunteers are needed to help cook, coordinate events and serve on committees, Lang said.

“Our organization still runs a lot on volunteers, so we’re always looking for people to come and get involved in the agency,” she said.

For information, visit www.angelfood.org.

During the team’s second LGBT Night Out, the Dodgers also hosted former Dodger Billy Bean and members of the cast from “Modern Family”. Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson threw out the first pitch, and singer Mary Lambert performed.

“I’m so glad that they’re putting this on,” Lambert said. “I’m glad to be a part of it and so happy they invited me. I think it’s really necessary for visibility, and visibility is the most important thing to fight homophobia.”