Project Angel Food broke ground today on the Community Outreach Center of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen and Campus, launching the second and final building of its Hollywood campus. The center will bring expanded client and nutrition services, a demonstration kitchen, a volunteer center, a rooftop herb garden, and a Research & Policy Institute together to support seriously ill Angelenos and advance the Food Is Medicine movement.

Chuck Lorre joined Trisha Cardoso, Chief Giving Officer and President of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub, California State Senator Ben Allen, author, artist, activist and Project Angel Food board member Mary Fisher, and donors, volunteers and community supporters for the celebration. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath delivered a pre-recorded message.

“This is more than a building. It represents Project Angel Food becoming a national leader in the Food Is Medicine movement,” Ayoub said. “Behind every meal is a person who needs us.”

The Community Outreach Center will extend the work of the campus’ expanded kitchen, pairing increased meal production with the people, education and research needed to meet growing demand. Client and nutrition services teams will have greater capacity to welcome seriously ill people into the program, assess their nutritional needs and connect them with appropriate meals and support.

Founders Hall’s demonstration kitchen will offer practical nutrition and cooking education for clients, caregivers, physicians and other nonprofits addressing food insecurity. For clients whose health improves, that education will support a transition from fully prepared medically tailored meals to preparing meals of their own. A rooftop herb garden will provide space for community gathering and growing fresh ingredients.

“I just want to express my gratitude for being part of this organization. It’s humbling to meet people who have been on the front lines, doing the hard work for years and years, providing an incalculable service to those who are going without,” Lorre said. “It’s very personal to me. I’ve been without food; I’ve been without healthy food. It’s nothing I would wish on anyone. It certainly shouldn’t happen in this country. To be part of an organization that’s trying to correct that is humbling.”

The center’s Research & Policy Institute will advance the science of Food Is Medicine, share findings and work toward broader coverage of medically tailored meals under Medi-Cal and Medicare. The institute reflects Project Angel Food’s commitment to addressing both the immediate needs of clients and the systems that determine access to nutritional care.

Supervisor Horvath added, “The county needs partners like Project Angel Food. We couldn’t do our work without you. The way that you show up in the county is exactly how we want the county to care for our most vulnerable residents. I’m excited to see this kind of investment make sure the work that you do reaches everyone who needs it. I’m always going to have your back no matter what.”

Fisher connected the milestone to the love and community that have sustained Project Angel Food since its founding during the AIDS crisis in 1989. She recalled returning to volunteer during a difficult period in her own life and finding purpose and belonging in the kitchen.

“From the beginning, Project Angel Food’s founders insisted that when we prepare and deliver food, we are also bringing love,” Fisher said. “We’ve gathered to celebrate the love that beats at the heart of Project Angel Food. It all begins in a kitchen.”

The program also featured longtime volunteers Carol and Jerry Coben and client Sumi A., whose perspectives underscored the personal connections behind the organization’s daily work.

Ayoub thanked The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation and the community of donors making the campus possible, announcing that approximately $3 million remains to be raised through the Rise to the Challenge campaign. He encouraged supporters to introduce others to the project and help bring the campaign across the finish line.

“Long after today, someone will find health, and food, and comfort under the tree we planted together,” Ayoub said. “Thank you for making our legacy your legacy.”