Food on the Go
The Let’s Feed LA Program has been providing emergency food support to Los Angeles County residents impacted by COVID-19. In a collaborative effort between the Public Health Institute Center for Wellness and Nutrition, Roots of Change, and Wholesome Wave through Let’s Feed LA, Angelinos can have fresh locally grown produce and food options delivered to their homes free of charge. Tangelo is the app based food platform that is bringing these organizations together to provide the LA community with food assistance.
The Programs Making a Difference
The Public Health Institute Center for Wellness and Nutrition is one of the nation’s leaders in making programs to tackle obesity, promote food nutrition education, and active living. They have worked with the CA Department of Public Health to bring SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) into existence over 15 years ago.
Roots of Change is a collaborative network that brings together the government, businesses, and organizations with an interest in food accessibility and regenerative agriculture. Roots of Change is a driving force in pushing forward sustainable food policies in California.
Wholesome Wave has worked closely with community based organizations to raise and reinvest funds. They provide public assistance programs such as Produce Prescription Program, Healthy Choice Initiatives, and SNAP Doubling. Each of these programs help individuals find their solution to nutrition insecurity.
The Let’s Feed LA Program provides LA County residents access to meal programs such as student meal distribution, LA Food Bank Centers, 211 Food Inventory, and World Central Kitchen. It provides delivery services for residents of age 60+ and/or with disabilities that experience high risk COVID-19 infection.
Tangelo is an internet platform that connects all the programs and organizations that assist families have healthy food on your table. This platform collaborates with larger organizations, community based organizations, and local growers. Angelinos facing food and nutrition insecurity during the pandemic can receive support through this internet platform.
How it Works
Tangelo makes it simple to have healthy food delivered to your doorstep.
Step 1:
Download the app on the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android)
Step 2:
Answer a questionnaire about how you may have been affected by COVID-19. By imputing your information, it will then determine your eligibility to receive program benefits.
Step 3:
After being approved, a $600-$900 credit will be added to the app’s digital wallet. This credit allows you to purchase a variety of food boxes found in the app’s market. They offer a selection of seasonal fruits & vegetables, animal, vegetarian, or vegan based proteins, grain & pantry, and snack boxes of your choosing.
Step 4:
Select as many food boxes as needed, box options range from $25 to $50 depending on size and food quantity. The available credit you qualify for may be used to purchase the food boxes. After placing an order, you will be notified when the boxes will be delivered.
The Impact of it All
All these programs, organizations, local growers, and food providers are making it their goal to bring people facing food and nutritional insecurity accessible healthy food to their table. In these troubling times many Americans, especially those in low income communities, need assistance. These programs give a great opportunity for many low income families and others struggling to benefit from. Private funding for these programs has proven that helping local community organizations can have an impact on several lives; As someone who personally participates in the Let’s Feed LA program and Tangelo, I am grateful that these programs are accessible to me and other members in my community. COVID-19 cases rise each day the restrictions are heavily enforced and living in the vicinity of those that are high risk, I rely on Tangelo’s food accessible delivery services to keep me on a path of healthy eating.
References
Wholesome Wave. Retrieved 12 9, 2020, from https://www.wholesomewave.org/what-we-do/
Join Tangelo. Retrieved 12 9, 2020, from https://jointangelo.com/our-company
Roots of Change. Retrieved 12 9, 2020, from https://www.rootsofchange.org/about-us-food-system-change/history/the-story-of-roots-of-change/
Center for Wellness and Nutrition. (n.d.). Public health Institute. Retrieved 12 9, 2020, from https://www.phi.org/our-work/programs/center-for-wellness-and-nutrition/
Let's Talk Urban Ag 
Responder
Working as a student assistance I was able to see how the Poly Pantry also planned food drives in order to accommodate those affected by COVID. There are food drives that Cal Poly hosts as well as fundraising events in order to maintain this process going. Students who have proof of lack of resources are eligible for canned food and other items that will not go bad. In order to adapt to COVID restrictions as of November they began doing curb side pick up so students wouldn’t face food insecurity. I think the programs mentioned above mirror these efforts but in a much larger scale.
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What a creative and effective idea to involve technology to help provide food security. It is inspiring to see people who are struggling to get whole fresh food provided to them free of charge. Tangelo is one food providing service that is pretty innovative. The only question or concern I have for this application is how people can easily access it. Would you have to have a smartphone in order to go on tangelo? From personal experience I only recently started using a smartphone due to not liking being connected to technology all the time, but in other situations the main reason for not having a phone might be financial. If this is the case, how would those people still be able to access this organization?
Tangelo is a great idea for our generation but I think it is not targeting the people it was intended for. As you mentioned this application is perfect for someone like you or me. College students who do not always have enough income to always buy whole fruits and vegetables. This is also an amazing application for people who reply on getting food delivered but can not always cover the cost. I am always happy to learn about new platforms that provide low or even free whole foods.
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