About Project HEAL
Project HEAL ( Healthy Eating and Living ) was initiated in the summer of 2018 to help break the cycle of poverty, ill-health and homelessness by providing healthy, hearty, plant-based dinners to those in need.
Ill-health and poverty share a devastating link and are major contributors to homelessness. Approximately 41 million Americans struggle with hunger, roughly equal to those officially living in poverty. There are an estimated 553,742 people in the United States experiencing homelessness on a given night, according to the most recent national point-in-time estimate (January 2017). Poverty is only one of the many obstacles that prevent someone from coming out of homelessness.
Why Plant-Based?
According to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine….
Plant-based meals provide excellent nutrition—they are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that boost (children’s ) health. Healthful vegan diets have a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions. Adolescents raised on a plant-based diet often find they have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight. They also have fewer problems with acne, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems than their peers who eat animal products.
To learn more about how low-fat, vegan nutrition helps improve the glycemic index and cardiovascular risk factors, helps with weight loss and more please visit https://www.pcrm.org/clinical-research
How We Make An Impact In Our Local Communities
We are working to break this cycle of poverty, ill health and homelessness by bringing nutritious, plant-based, fresh volunteer prepared as well as donor sponsored dinners to community kitchens and shelters around the country. Our meals provide a complete, balanced nutrition with emphasis on clean ingredients free from eggs, meat, honey, whey, dairy and dairy products.
Our mission is to help serve the underserved and homeless populations to help them lead healthy lives and break this cycle.
What We’ve Done So Far
Since the start of Project HEAL in May 2018, we have provided many thousands of healthy meals – both lunches and dinners to thousands of guests of soup kitchens and shelters.
Project HEAL is currently serving in Boston, Portland, San Franciso and Seattle and will be coming to more cities soon.