In hopes of increasing access to healthy locally produced food, Montgomery County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) and the Office of Grants Managment awarded $750,000 in grants.
The six awardees work in partnership with the county to increase access to good food for families with children at high risk or experiencing, diet-rated disease and food insecurity.
“Food and health are deeply connected, and too many families don’t have access to the kinds of food that support long-term health,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This grant program helps make sure that families who are struggling are not left behind. It builds stronger connections between doctors, schools, food providers and farms—and it does it in a way that respects cultural needs and community voices. We’re going to keep investing in partnerships like this because they work, and because they move us closer to a healthier County.”
The awardees are expected to serve 700 households at 12 pediatric health care sites for one year.
They are:
Adventist HealthCare, Inc.
- Mary’s Center, Mercy Clinic and the Muslim Community Center Clinic, Manna Food Center, One Acre Farm, Giant Food, Manna Food Center
AfriThrive, Inc.
- The School-Based Health and Wellness Centers at Harmony Hills Elementary School, Viers Mill Elementary School and Kennedy High School, Manna Food Center, Capital Area Food Bank
Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research Inc.
- The School-Based Health and Wellness Centers at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School, Rolling Terrace Elementary School and JoAnn Leleck Elementary School, Community FarmShare, Hungry Harvest and Crossroads Farmers Market
Holy Cross Health Center, Gaithersburg
- Community FarmShare
Mid-County United Ministries, Inc.
- The School-Based Health and Wellness Center at Wheaton High School, Manna Food Center, the Hub at Hughes United Methodist Church, Community FarmShare, Sligo Creek Farms LLC, Holy Cross Health
Vietnamese American Services, Inc.
- The School-Based Health and Wellness Center at Weller Road Elementary School, Community FarmShare, Community Engagement and Consultation Group
Households enrolled in the program will regularly receive nutritious, locally grown and culturally relevant food. Included with the food will be personalized nutrition education from trained community health workers on a weekly or biweekly basis.
“The Food as Medicine program demonstrates the multi-faceted benefits of systemic approaches that build equity within communities most affected by social determinants of health,” said Heather Bruskin, OFSR director.
“These innovative partnerships address immediate food insecurity, while also offering nutrition education that shapes long-term healthy eating habits, addresses chronic health conditions an invests in our local agricultural sector. The collaborative nature of these grant-funded programs illustrates that there’s a role for the entire community to play in improving population health,” Bruskin said.
