Feeding America Food Banks, Feeding America, and Center for Health and Nutrition Impact gathered at the Houston Food Bank in March; convening to discuss program implementation, data outcomes, and best practices for the Food as Medicine Grant 3 (FAM3) program. The FAM3 program is the third iteration of the Food as Medicine partnership between Feeding America and Elevance Health Foundation. Unique to FAM3 is a rigorous evaluation led by the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact. The goal of FAM3 is to strengthen local food bank-healthcare partnerships to identify patients experiencing food insecurity and ensure that they have access to nutritious food that facilitates better health.
Food security and health are inextricably linked. Food insecurity impacts health across the lifespan and can lead to increased risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. Food insecurity and poor health have a cyclical relationship; people living in food-insecure households may rely on coping strategies that lead to poor health and reduce capacity for disease management, thus leading to increased health care expenditures which can limit household income and create a pathway for continued food insecurity. Food insecurity has been linked to over $77 billion in additional health care expenditures each year in the U.S., highlighting the importance of food bank-healthcare partnerships that can address this link. Food insecurity is present in all counties, parishes, and boroughs, with racial and ethnic minorities experiencing disproportionately higher rates contributing to persistent health disparities and inequities in marginalized populations. Over the years, Feeding American and partner food banks have worked to better understand and address the intersections of food insecurity and health. In fact, over 80 percent of partner food banks are engaged in healthcare partnerships. Feeding America is committed to identifying and supporting new FAM approaches and conducting research to evaluate the impact of these approaches.
Participating food banks
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Capital Area Food Bank
Dare to Care Food Bank
Feed More
Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino Counties
Feeding Westchester
Food Bank for New York City
Food Bank of Northern Nevada
Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
Freestore Foodbank
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
Greater Cleveland Food Bank
HACAP Food Reservoir
Houston Food Bank
Island Harvest Food Bank
Mid-Ohio Food Collective
Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Second Harvest of
Silicon Valley
St. Louis Area Food Bank