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Angel Harvest
    Serves L.A.County
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The LA Hunger Network
In each community there is a hunger network system operating. This system balances the need, the number of hungry people while also educating the community’s awareness to share their resources to help.

The hungry man, women or child is always at the bottom of the system.

A hotline / online service providing information about the most appropriate emergency food program in the geographic area. If the person in questions does not have a computer, the local library or friend can help access this information online.

Soup kitchen is for single adults for a hot meal, lunch or dinner, like a restaurant for free. Usually operating out of faith programs or community centers and are open one to three days a week normally for lunch. A hot meal is served. Many places have some referral to other emergency needs like medical, legal, housing, etc.

Food pantries are for families with a place to live and a kitchen with electricity and a working stove for cooking, like a grocery store for free. These programs also usually operate out of faith programs or community centers. The family may only come once a month with proof of occupancy within the geographic area that program serves due to the larger dollar value of the food bag. The family will receive enough groceries typically for three meals for three days for each person. The food is an assortment of produce, pasta/rice, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, baked goods and maybe some fresh meat or poultry. Many programs also have some referral to other emergency needs like medical, legal, housing, etc.

Emergency shelters are a free bed with one or two meals a day normally. During the day, the guest usually needs to be out looking for or at a job, health care service or job training services. With the cold winter weather there is sometimes a limit on how many nights a person can stay. 99% of the shelters in America are internally separated by gender with very little space for families.

Homeless families are a growing segment of the hunger community in the last few years.

Food banks or the Harvest programs are the main sources for food at these soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters, as supplements to their tight budgets.

The food bank is a warehouse that receives donated food, mostly canned and packaged from food companies, usually wholesalers and distributors. The agency “shops” once a month, normally paying a “per pound” cost for the food, usually 12 to 18 cents plus an annual membership or administrative cost. Many of the local food banks belong to America’s Second Harvest. Much of the food is donated.

ANGEL HARVEST picks up all types of food (perishable, baked, fresh, frozen, canned, and packaged) donated from all types of companies, (caterers, retailers, wholesalers, food service, hotels, and others) in all amounts (500 to 50,000 pounds). We deliver our food directly to the soup kitchen or shelter immediately and for free. This food is a supplement since they must always have other food as a base line.

Advocacy is the next level in the network to assist the hungry. Advocacy to assist them directly, helping to get a place to live, access to entitled compensation or benefits, medical, legal or other services. Advocacy can also be collectively, for the enactment of laws and benefits for the hungry as a whole and/or to selective segments: women, people with AIDS, disabilities, etc. Advocacy is also education for the general public and legislators too.

Outside the emergency hunger network are additional food resources.

Meals on Wheels is a government funded program that provides meals to those who are aged and have limited ability to go shopping for food. This is not a money issue, but a mobility one. Not all communities have Meals on Wheels or the volunteer teams to deliver the meals.

SHARE is a food cooperative system operating out of selected churches. The family pays a fixed amount, $65 for groceries for each person. They must volunteer, usually at the church for X hours a month. The Once a month distribution delivers the packed bags of produce, rice/pasta, canned and fresh foods to the church location.