Los Angeles – During the Opening Session of its 2025 Annual Meeting today, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) presented a donation of $26,248 to the nonprofit organization FEAST. FEAST (which stands for Food, Education, Access, Support, Together) advances health equity through nutrition education, food access, and socioemotional support for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

FEAST, a local charity in the Los Angeles area, is this year’s APA Gives Back recipient. Now in its 16th year, the APA Gives Back program provides an opportunity for APA, its members, and Annual Meeting attendees to support a local organization in the city hosting the meeting.

FEAST fosters generational impact by empowering heads of households to lead their families toward healthier futures. It offers wellness classes in a supportive environment, where adults learn about nutrition and how to cook healthy, satisfying, and budget-friendly meals. By creating inclusive spaces where participants build skills and share experiences, FEAST strengthens not only individual health outcomes but also community resilience.

“We are deeply honored to receive this generous support from the American Psychiatric Association. At FEAST, we believe that food is more than fuel — it’s a power vehicle for vitality and connection. With APA’s support, we’ll continue to nourish bodies, minds, and communities through our wellness programming model,” said Amy Vu and Sydney Zetune, Co-Executive Directors. FEAST’s holistic approach resonates with the theme of this year’s APA Annual Meeting: “Lifestyle Psychiatry for Positive Mental and Physical Health.” Nutrition and social connection are two of six pillars of lifestyle psychiatry, in addition to exercise, restorative sleep, mindfulness and meditation, and avoidance of harmful substances.

“Sharing a nutritious meal together is one of the best things we can do for our mental health,” said APA President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc. “The three key ingredients of FEAST– whole foods, whole people, and whole communities – underscore the importance of access to minimally processed foods for improved health and longevity as well as the connection between what we eat and how we feel.”

Contributions may be made during the registration process through APA’s Annual Meeting registration portal. If you have already registered and would like to donate, you can do so by logging into the Registration Resource Center and selecting “Upgrade.” APA matches member/attendee donations dollar for dollar.

About FEAST

Our mission is to promote wellness and enrich lives through the power of healthy foods and human connection. Our vision is to live in a world where every individual and family has equal access to the ingredients that create health and wellness. Through partnerships and training opportunities, FEAST is working to empower community organizations and individuals to bring its transformational programs to the communities they serve. Learn more at feastforall.org.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 39,200 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.