food

Like so many Angelenos, Austin Beutner and Anthony Pritzker were distressed that the Covid-19 pandemic had dramatically increased the food insecurity experienced by so many in the community. Government efforts were inadequate and slow. 

So, Beutner, superintendent of the LAUSD, and Anthony Pritzker, philanthropist and a member of one of the nation's most prominent families (Hyatt), decided to take action. It only took at 20-minute phone call between the long-time friends to create the charity L.A. Students Most in Need.

There are apps to order a ride and food and apps to find dates and dog walkers. But what about an app to help the 42 million Americans who rely on food stamps, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) to feed their families? Calling an 800 number to check one’s balance or maintaining an ongoing tally of purchases are cumbersome and time consuming.

Brooklyn-based Propel, a social enterprise that builds first-class software products for low-income Americans, is addressing this need.