A West Philly meal service is expanding its reach and bringing hope to those in need

Angela Graves is best known for two things: her delicious cooking and her cheerful service. Her talents are on full display every Saturday morning when she hits the streets to deliver meals to those in need.

“God said to me, ‘This is your calling, this is what you should be doing,’” Graves said. “I took that and said, that’s my purpose on Earth.”

She founded Together We Can Change, a nonprofit that provides weekly meal service to those experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, Coatesville and Wilmington, Del. The 62-year-old shows up rain or shine — with volunteers or alone — dedicated to ensuring that those she serves receive at least one free hot meal every week.

“It means a lot. I know that there are some people out here that care,” said Charles, a young man Angela served one Saturday near 34th and Market. Once in foster care, Charles and his partner, Shantee, said they’ve been living on the streets together for seven years.

“Right now, all we got is really each other,” Charles said. “And it’s hard because you don’t have anybody to fall back on.”

But Angela’s brown bag meal offered hope: “God bless you,” she told them.

A West Philly native with a heart for service

Angela’s sense of service was instilled in her from a young age. Growing up near N. 43rd Street and Fairmount Avenue, she learned the value of giving from her grandmother, Ellen E. Smith.

“My grandmother was the person that instilled in me the giving,” Angela recalls. “She would prepare meals and say, ‘Look, take this over to so-and-so.’ So I was constantly running up and down the street serving meals.”

Her culinary chops came from Miss Ellen, too.

“She could make anything into a meal and it would be so good,” she added. “Everything that I do, I feel like it’s been inspired by her.”

Before launching her nonprofit, Angela worked with various organizations to feed those in need during the holidays and weekends. On Saturdays, she would go out and serve lunch, then go home and cook more, before going back out to serve dinner. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many of the groups she volunteered with stopped serving, but Angela’s commitment never wavered.

“I said to myself, well, they still need to eat,” she explains. “So I then started just packing up stuff and going out there and serving because the homeless were still out there.”

That was four years ago when she started Together We Can Change. Since then, every Saturday and Sunday morning, Angela drives from her home in Middletown, Del., to her family’s house in West Philly, where she fires up the grill and gets to work.

“I’m in the backyard flipping burgers and hot dogs, and I put them all in a pan,” Angela says, describing her typical weekend. On other weekends, the menu includes pulled pork sandwiches, chicken and corn.

By noon, Angela loads up her SUV and hits the road with enough food to feed 80-100 people. Angela makes stops whenever she sees someone in need: whether they are sleeping on the streets, camped in alleyways, or resting in a park.

“Hey, girl, how are you feeling,” she said to one woman in Aviator Park, “You okay?”
She greets everyone who crosses her path with warmth and care.

Health challenges and a renewed vision

In June 2023, Angela’s health took a turn when she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or A-Fib, a condition marked by an irregular heartbeat.

“My heart was beating super fast,” she recalls. “Like 200 beats per minute.”

Despite her health scare, Angela remains as committed as ever to her mission. While doctors have advised her to rest on Sundays, her free time has given her space to think about expanding her vision of service.

She dreams of opening what she calls a “shelter of love.”

“Ultimately, I want a shelter where the support would be there, and they could just come and feel welcome and safe,” she says.

Her vision for the future is rooted in the same compassion that drives her every weekend.

Serving with love and hope

“A lot of people have just been inspired by her here at work, including myself,” says Paul Barber, who nominated Angela for the Good Souls Project.

Angela and Paul work together at Incyte, a Delaware-based pharmaceutical company. Every week, Angela sends Paul and work colleagues an email detailing her weekend efforts.

“She goes out into the community, not just in Philadelphia but in other areas of the tri-state region, and comes prepared with like 100 meals,” he said. “She’s become really good friends with a lot of people in need… [she] is just a selfless, kind human being.”

Expanding Together We Can Change

While Angela self-funds most of her weekend food drops, Together We Can Change has started gaining support from donors. The nonprofit has organized fundraisers, including a gala and a 5K run scheduled for November.

“We’ve expanded our territory,” Angela notes, explaining that the group now serves meals in Coatesville and Wilmington, Delaware, in addition to West Philadelphia.

Angela’s work with Together We Can Change is not for acknowledgment or praise, though she certainly deserves both.

“I don’t do it for recognition,” she said. “I do it because it’s the right thing. Who are we as humans if we ignore the suffering of others?”

In a world where so many people are struggling, Angela Graves is a shining example of how one person can make a difference. Her dedication to combating food insecurities, her kind spirit and her unwavering faith have earned her the title of a Good Soul.

“I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Angela said.

And for the countless people whose lives she has touched, her work is nothing short of a blessing.

If you know someone who has performed an act of kindness, whether it be big or small and you think they serve as an example of compassion, generosity and service, nominate them here: whyy.org/goodsoulsform.