HOLLYWOOD, CA — On Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, the second Client Advisory Board meeting of the year took place at Project Angel Food and was another wonderful opportunity to gain valuable feedback from our critically ill clients.

Clients Charles H., 70 from Baldwin Hills, and Margarita T., 63 from Gardena — who was accompanied by her son, Christian P., because she only speaks Spanish — were in attendance and treated to a fine dining experience. Clients were fed a salad of mixed greens with a house dressing, a main course of achiote chicken, herb rice and roasted vegetable medley, and an apple pie for dessert. The scrumptious meal was prepared by Project Angel Food chef Angel Cope.

The dinner began with remarks by Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub who thanked the clients for coming. Project Angel Food Clients Services Manager Scott Stephens gave a brief overview of the history of the organization, while fielding questions and asking some of his own to help further unify the connection between clients and client services.

“I was happy to get valuable feedback from our clients and family members who were there,” Stephens said. “And of course, our events and kitchen staff made it a really elegant experience that I think the clients really enjoyed.”

One big difference from the previous CAB meeting in May was that clients were invited with a specific qualifying condition, End-Stage Renal Disease. The objective was twofold for Stephens — to build upon that commonality and bonding between clients in attendance, and to get targeted feedback to better service ESRD clients.

“For some time now, we’ve been challenged by the number of applications and referrals we get for ESRD patients, so we went into the event hoping to not only make sure we’re doing our best to serve current ESRD clients but also get ideas for how we can better admit and serve future Project Angel Food clients battling ESRD,” Stephens said.

Charles praised the Medically Tailored Meals and said they not only helped them nourish himself, but also focus on overall fitness, which has led to improved health and a stable weight. Christian talked about the spice levels in food for his mom and asked how chefs work with Nutrition Services to find healthy recipes with vibrant flavor.

Stephens pointed out how the meeting is also a great opportunity to meet the chefs who prepare their food, including a tour of the kitchen, and interact with staff members that help them receive their meals. Project Angel Food Registered Dietitian Max Schroder and Quality Assurance Technician Melena Washington also attended the meeting and happily answered questions from clients and took note of their feedback.

“I’m not sure anything brings me as much joy as when clients come to our facility,” Stephens said. “Personally, I can’t get out on the road as much as I would like to, delivering meals and meeting clients face to face. So, it’s a great chance to put faces with some of the names I work behind the scenes to serve every day.”

If you would like to take part in a CAB meeting, the next one is tentatively scheduled for Spring 2023.

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