LA County Office of Food Systems Grocery Voucher Program

Program overview

The LA County Office of Food Systems (LAC-OFS) launched operations on Jan. 6, 2025, one day before wildfires tore through Los Angeles County. Founded through a partnership between LA County and local philanthropies, LAC-OFS is dedicated to cultivating a fair, resilient, and healthy food system for all county residents.

As LA County's Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) stood up relief programs for workers and small businesses, a separate and persistent need became evident: urgent food assistance for displaced families and workers. LAC-OFS held weekly coordination calls to bring together county and city agencies, food banks, and nonprofits to address the gap. A $1 million grant from FireAid gave LAC-OFS the resources to act, and a plan to deliver $500 grocery vouchers to fire-affected households began to take shape.

LAC-OFS needed a model that could move fast, reach the right households, and operate securely.

How the LA County Office of Food Systems used AidKit to deliver direct food relief

1. When in-person distribution became impossible, a digital model emerged

LAC-OFS initially planned to distribute physical Albertsons gift cards through a series of in-person events. As additional disruptive conditions began impacting the region in early June 2025, continuing with in-person distribution was no longer feasible for the communities the program was designed to serve.

The team needed a new approach quickly. After evaluating a series of options that proved cost-prohibitive and cumbersome, LAC-OFS chose AidKit, in large part based on DEO's recommendation.

"AidKit just stood out as the best third-party vendor. There are companies out there that will only do part of what's needed. AidKit does it all."

— Leah Ross, Operations and Outreach Coordinator, LA County Office of Food Systems

2. An existing infrastructure made launch possible in 23 days

Because DEO had already used AidKit to administer its LA Region Worker Relief Fund and Small Business Relief Fund, LAC-OFS could build on existing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch. As the Worker Relief Fund was ongoing, DEO maintained a verified list of recipients, which served as a pre-qualified pool of fire-affected households that could be reached directly. Using AidKit, DEO sent a one-time SMS and email notification to allow people from this pre-vetted pool to opt in to the Grocery Voucher Program. Anyone who opted in was directed to a separate enrollment process, ensuring data was never shared without consent.

The contract was signed July 12. Requirements were submitted July 17, approved July 22, and the build was complete by July 24. After external testing, translations, and revisions, the program launched Aug. 4, just 23 days from contract to launch.

3. A distribution model designed for dignity and fairness

Emergency relief programs face a common tension: limited funds mean not everyone who applies can receive assistance. How that reality is communicated to applicants matters. AidKit presented three approaches to LAC-OFS, each with different implications for the applicant experience.

The first-come-first-served model was straightforward but rewarded those with the fastest internet access or most flexibility in their schedule. A general lottery allowed open applications before randomly selecting recipients, which meant some people would apply, wait, and ultimately be turned away. The pre-lottery model took a different approach: recipients were selected before invitations went out, so every person who received an invitation already had a spot. There was no risk of applying and not being chosen.

LAC-OFS chose the pre-lottery model. Invitations went out to 900 randomly selected recipients via SMS and email on launch day, with a second backfill round to ensure the program reached its target. Applicants had a two-week window to submit, with reminders sent on days three and five.

4. A full-service platform enabled a lean team to operate at scale

AidKit's team managed applicant support end to end, handling inquiries, walking applicants through identity verification, and troubleshooting issues. This allowed LAC-OFS to run a program at scale without a large internal review staff.

"The AidKit team was diligent in reaching out to anyone who had issues and walking them through getting their proper identification uploaded. Out of 900 people, only a few had issues. We were pleased with how quickly the AidKit team responded and worked toward a solution."

— Paula Daniels, Executive Director, LA County Office of Food Systems

For applicants who could not complete digital identity verification, fallback options were available, including physical GiveCards and Albertsons gift card pickup for those unable to provide standard identification.

5. Custom survey design produced funder-ready data

LAC-OFS wanted to collect data on how recipients' lives had changed since the fires, including where they lived and worked before and after and how their employment had been affected. They added a survey to the application process, and AidKit incorporated the results into a dynamic graphic display that helped visually depict the program's impact.

The resulting data fed directly into grant reporting back to FireAid, providing the demographic and impact statistics needed to demonstrate who the program reached and how.

"The data dashboard is great for doing impact reports. The visuals are clear and it's easy to follow along."

— Ross

Program impact

• $450,000 in grocery assistance delivered 
• 900 households served a $500 benefit 
• 23 days from contract signing to program launch 
• No prior aid distribution experience required 
• Multilingual application and communications 
• Fallback payment options ensured access for applicants without digital access or standard ID 
• Clean, structured data enabled direct grant reporting to FireAid

The bigger picture

The Grocery Voucher Program demonstrates what's possible when an organization builds on existing program infrastructure and partners with a platform designed for the full arc of aid delivery, from intake to payment to reporting.

"Working with AidKit was wonderful. The process from beginning to end, from doing our research and having our introductory calls, to working with the team on the contract, to the build-out and their expertise in creating our custom survey, everything worked seamlessly."

— Ross

Looking ahead

For counties and nonprofits considering a similar program, Ross points to one priority above all others: know your options before disaster strikes.

"The most important thing is knowledge of the field, knowing who can do these distributions for you. When I did my research, AidKit just stood out."

— Ross

LAC-OFS is continuing to build its capacity to respond to future food access emergencies, with the Grocery Voucher Program serving as a model for what an organization can accomplish with the right partners and infrastructure in place.

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