Volunteers helped prepare and package meals during the YPOSMB’s Big Give event at Project Angel Food. (photo by Noe Garcia/Project Angel Food)

The Young Presidents’ Organization Santa Monica Bay Chapter brought approximately 150 volunteers to Project Angel Food on April 23 during its annual Big Give, in which members give back to critically ill clients throughout L.A. County. The group also included 60 presidents and CEOs from 35 corporations. YPOSMB helps each member become a better leader in business and the community. The volunteers helped with meal preparation in the kitchen and packaging meals, as well as gardening box projects and a mural painting.

The group was welcomed by YPOSMB’s Sue Chen and Jordan Pynes, and Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub. Project Angel Food, located at 922 Vine St. in Hollywood, prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to critically ill residents throughout Los Angeles County. Volunteers are always needed in the Project Angel Food kitchen.

The nonprofit has many other initiatives that also depend on volunteers, including the Telephone Angels Program, which connects volunteers with clients to combat loneliness among critically ill individuals. Project Angel Food has a holistic approach to client mental and physical health outcomes. The goal is to care for a person’s body with medically tailored meals, but to also help improve emotional well-being.

Project Angel Food is also conducting its congestive heart failure pilot program, a 12-week intervention designed to improve health outcomes and reduce medical costs of people living with congestive heart failure through meal deliveries and individualized nutritional counseling. For information, visit angelfood.org.