Congresswoman Laura Friedman visited the construction site of Project Angel Food’s new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Campus in Los Angeles on August 12, 2025, underscoring both the promise of the $51.5 million expansion and the risks posed by recent federal funding cuts.
The expanded campus will allow Project Angel Food to double its capacity in preparing and delivering medically tailored meals to thousands of critically ill individuals across Southern California. Founded in 1989, the nonprofit currently serves more than 7,000 clients annually and has delivered over 20 million meals since its inception.
But despite this milestone project, the organization is facing financial challenges. Recent changes in federal funding have reduced its resources by more than $500,000—a significant loss for a nonprofit that relies on both government and community support to sustain its operations.
“These meals save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and strengthen our entire community,” Friedman said during her visit, stressing that support for Project Angel Food is not only a humanitarian investment but also an economic one.
The Congresswoman highlighted that medically tailored meals play a vital role in public health, particularly for low-income patients living with conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and heart disease. By working in partnership with hospitals and healthcare providers, Project Angel Food helps reduce hospital readmissions and improve patient outcomes, easing the burden on the wider healthcare system.
The new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Campus, named in recognition of the television producer’s major contributions, will include state-of-the-art kitchens, expanded meal preparation areas, and enhanced distribution facilities. When completed, it is expected to become a hub of innovation for nutrition-based healthcare solutions in Los Angeles.
“Joining together with our healthcare partners, this new campus will allow us to meet the growing demand for services while ensuring no patient in need is left without nourishment,” said Richard Ayoub, CEO of Project Angel Food, in an earlier statement on the project.
Friedman’s visit comes at a time when advocacy groups are pressing Congress to reconsider federal budget cuts affecting programs that provide food assistance to medically vulnerable communities. For organizations like Project Angel Food, which already balance rising demand with increased costs, such cuts threaten to slow progress at a critical moment.
Still, with the new campus under construction and strong community backing, Project Angel Food leaders remain hopeful. The organization’s history of resilience, combined with its expanding physical footprint, positions it as a central force in the movement to integrate nutrition into healthcare.
Originally reported by Quiver CongressRadar in Quiver Quantative.