In partnership with NBC4, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) is holding a countywide food drive from November 12 - December 1 to collect donations of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items for people living with HIV/AIDS. Donations collected during the food drive will supplement the food provided to clients who visit APLA’s Vance North Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) food pantries every week.
APLA will launch the drive on November 12 with an event at its North Hollywood NOLP warehouse, the program’s headquarters for collecting and sorting items for distribution. The drive will culminate on World AIDS Day, December 1, when APLA volunteers will be at drop-off locations throughout L.A. County to collect food donations. For a list of items requested for the food drive and a list of drop-off locations, visit apla.org/fooddrive.
HIV/AIDS disproportionally affects low-income individuals and their families, making the APLA Food Drive so critical. Most of APLA’s 11,000 clients live on less than $10,000 a year. Donations from the food drive will provide nourishment for thousands of Angelenos who face HIV/AIDS and hunger.
NOLP is the nation’s largest network of food pantries for people living with HIV/AIDS. Volunteers at nine pantries, located throughout L.A. County, pack and distribute nearly 3,000 bags of groceries weekly. Low-income people with HIV/AIDS are eligible to bring home four bags of groceries every week at no cost. NOLP’s pre-bagged groceries include fresh dairy, frozen meats, fresh vegetables, and an assortment of canned and dry goods, as well as hygiene products and cleaning supplies.
As part of the program, clients also receive bilingual, one-on-one nutritional counseling, nutrition education classes, and even cooking demonstrations to help APLA’s clients make the most of their NOLP groceries.
