Media Contact:
Joe Hui
Director of Communications
jhui@aplahealth.org
213.201.1342
11.24.2021
November 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of one of APLA Health’s most critically needed services: our Vance North Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) food pantries. NOLP began as a $35-a-week food voucher program run by Ken and Alfia Hollywood out of their movie memorabilia store. In 1986, APLA Health worked with the Hollywoods to open the first Necessities of Life Program food pantry.
In 2011, philanthropist Bob North and his wife, Lois, donated $3.5 million to the program in memory of their son, APLA Health client and supporter Vance North, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1995.
Today, NOLP is the country’s largest food pantry network for people living with HIV/AIDS with ten locations throughout Los Angeles County—from Long Beach to Lancaster—and has distributed over 17 million free meals to people who live at or below the poverty line.
In 2020, The Los Angeles County Division of HIV & STD Programs provided funding for the expansion of the program to provide 100 percent of a person’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County and increase capacity so that more people can join the program.
Each week, NOLP clients receive fresh dairy, frozen meats, fresh produce, and an assortment of canned and dry goods that provide 21 meals a week plus snacks, as well as hygiene items and cleaning supplies. NOLP clients also receive bilingual, one-on-one nutritional counseling and nutrition classes.
“We are 40 years into the AIDS epidemic and have been running NOLP for 35 years, and though we’ve made amazing strides in that time, there remains a critical need for our food pantries,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “In these times of significant inflation, providing the equivalent of three meals a day, seven days a week, we are able to help clients stabilize their living expenses and reduce overall food insecurity.”
More information about APLA Health’s NOLP program can be found here: https://aplahealth.org/services/nolp-food-pantries-nutrition/
NOLP Client, Mark Gordon, talks about his personal experience with the NOLP program: https://youtu.be/tJCzZ6HzB2s
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APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles) restores dignity and trust within underserved communities by providing world-class LGBTQ+ empowering healthcare, HIV specialty care, food, housing, and other essential support services. Since our founding in 1983, APLA Health has remained steadfast in our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. We operate eight Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) locations in Los Angeles County, serving more than 19,000 people annually, regardless of ability to pay. Our list of comprehensive services includes LGBTQ+ primary care, dental care, behavioral healthcare, HIV specialty care, and Out Here Sexual Health services (PrEP, STD screening & treatment, DoxyPEP, and PEP). For people with HIV, our wraparound support services include housing assistance through the Alliance for Housing & Healing and nutritional support via the Vance North Necessities of Life Program, the largest food pantry in the United States for people with HIV, distributing over 800,000 meals annually. APLA Health’s annual fundraisers include AIDS Walk LA — the world's first and oldest AIDS Walk — and Best in Drag Show. We are leaders in advocating for policy and legislation at the local, state and Federal levels that positively impact the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities. For more information, visit aplahealth.org.
