Partnership for a Healthier America Welcomes New Partners to its Healthy Hunger Relief Initiative

Updated: November 7, 2022

National Healthy Hunger Relief work doubles in reach, impacting more than 15 million Americans with healthier food

Washington,DC – The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) has welcomed over thirty new food bank partners to its Healthy Hunger Relief initiative, more than doubling the program’s reach to 30% of all food banks in the country. Since 2016, PHA has recognized, elevated, and accelerated the work of food banks and networked food pantries across the country that are uplifting the health and well-being of their communities.

“PHA’s Healthy Hunger Relief partners serve as the foundation of our mission to transform the food landscape in pursuit of food equity,” said Nancy E. Roman, President & CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America. “Through our work together, we’re ensuring that communities and families all across the country have access to healthier, high-quality, culturally relevant, and nutritious foods.”

Healthy Hunger Relief partners will receive support from PHA to implement a comprehensive nutrition ranking system, developed by experts at Healthy Eating Research, over the next two years. In addition, PHA will provide technical assistance to help partners understand the nutritional quality of their inventory and make strategic decisions within and across food categories to improve nutritional quality, enhancing food equity for the communities they serve.

“We are excited about PHA’s experience with our current inventory system and with other food banks,” said Kelly Daly, President & CEO, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, one of PHA’s new Healthy Hunger Relief partners. “With PHA’s support, we will progress quickly toward the nutrition goals in our strategic plan. This grant provides us with critical information to help us increase the amount of nutritious products being distributed to our agencies.”

PHA’s Healthy Hunger Relief initiative now works with a total of 60 partners, reaching more than 15 million Americans, who have committed to evaluating the nutritional content of over 906 million pounds of food, removing 19 million pounds of low nutrition food from their inventories and adding over 122 million pounds of healthy food. By welcoming these new partners to the program, PHA’s Healthy Hunger Relief work will double in reach and span across 27 states, impacting even more Americans with good food.

Announced alongside the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, PHA has committed to providing 100 million servings of vegetables and fruits to families around the country by 2025. PHA’s work with its Healthy Hunger Relief partners is part of this broader effort to meaningfully shift the food supply in disadvantaged communities as we work to improve food equity across the country.

New partners include:

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a nonprofit organization committed to ending hunger in 27 counties across central Pennsylvania. By working with more than 1,300 local agencies and programs, we serve over 152,000 people in need each month through our two Healthy Food Hubs, located in Harrisburg and Williamsport.

Community Harvest Food Bank

“Hunger relief is about so much more than just filling an empty stomach,” said Carmen Cumberland, President and CEO of Community Harvest Food Bank. “Thanks to this support from PHA, we’ll have the ability to purchase even more of the healthy, fresh foods that nourish body and spirit, and also introduce a food ranking system to help make choosing wholesome food options incredibly easy.”

Community Harvest Food Bank is located in Fort Wayne, IN, and serves the 9 counties of northeast Indiana. With a mission to alleviate hunger, the food bank serves over 100,000 people annually and distributes nearly 18 million pounds of food throughout the region through in-house programs and nonprofit member agency partners. Community Harvest Food Bank is a proud member of both Feeding America and Indiana’s State Association of Food Banks. For more information, please visit www.CHFB.org.

Eastern Illinois Foodbank

“We are excited about PHA’s experience with our current inventory system and with other food banks,” said Kelly Daly, President & CEO, Eastern Illinois Foodbank. “With PHA’s support, we will progress quickly toward the nutrition goals in our strategic plan. This grant provides us with critical information to help us increase the amount of nutritious products being distributed to our agencies.”

Eastern Illinois Foodbank works to alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois through cooperation with a network of food pantries, agencies and programs. The Foodbank distributes donated and discounted food throughout an 18-county service area in cooperation with more than 170 member agencies and programs. Through these agencies, the Foodbank provides food to more than 350,000 people each year.

Feed My People Food Bank

“While we understand the critical importance of integrating more nutritious items into our inventory, working with PHA will provide the practical support we need to create a realistic plan to improve access to healthy food for those we serve long term, said Susie Haugley, Communications Specialist, Feed My People Food Bank. “We are grateful for this partnership.”

At Feed My People Food Bank, we believe no one should go hungry. Food makes it possible for kids to learn, for adults to focus better at work, and for seniors to stay healthy and active. Feed My People Food Bank partners with nearly 250 hunger-relief programs in 14 counties located in west central Wisconsin to help supply food to over 70,000 food-insecure residents. These programs include our network of non-profit agency partners like food pantries, meal sites, shelters, other programs, and service programs that directly feed the hungry. Because we serve a 15,000+ square mile area that is mostly rural, we are driven to create and implement nimble programming to help overcome the unique barriers our rural neighbors face like high grocery and transportation costs, limited service resources, and fewer healthy options. We recognize the connection between hunger and health and the importance of strengthening our commitment to improving the nutritional value of the food we are offering to our neighbors in need.

Feeding South Dakota

“We are excited to join the Partnership for a Healthier America to improve the supply of nutritious food for thousands of South Dakotans who rely on our statewide food bank,” said Jennifer Stensaas, Marketing and Communications Director, Feeding South Dakota.

Feeding South Dakota, whose mission is to end hunger in South Dakota, is the state’s largest charitable hunger relief organization. In FY21, Feeding South Dakota secured and distributed 17.7 million pounds of quality nutritious donated and purchased food providing nearly 14.8 million meals to nearly 100,000 individuals who are food insecure in South Dakota. Feeding South Dakota distributes this food from distribution centers in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City and through its network of agency partners across the state.

Food Bank of Iowa

“People who face food insecurity tend to rely on carb-rich and calorie-dense foods because they can be inexpensive, fast to prepare, fill emotional needs and satisfy hunger pangs, said Annette Hacker, Communications Manager, Food Bank of Iowa. “At Food Bank of Iowa, we are committed to providing the best nutrition possible to families struggling to make ends meet. Children especially need proper nutrition to grow, develop and learn.”

Leveraging bulk purchasing power, retail food rescue relationships and the USDA’s The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Food Bank of Iowa sources free and reduced-cost food for Iowans in need. The food bank keeps the food safe and delivers it to 677 partners—including community meal sites; church, school, and community pantries; daycares; homeless shelters; and rehab sites—who then distribute food to children, seniors, veterans and hardworking Iowans. Food Bank of Iowa provides food to pantries, schools, and social service organizations in 55 counties, covering big cities and small towns across 30,000 square miles. To learn more, visit www.foodbankiowa.org.

Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

“The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is excited to join the Partnership for a Healthier America,” said Allyson Vaulx, Vice President of Development & Communications, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. “With this collaboration, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana will have additional resources to source healthy, nutritious foods like fresh produce. Additionally, with PHA’s support we will be better able to identify the nutritional value of the products offered to the food bank which will enhance the quality of food our friends and neighbors in need receive from our direct service programs and partner agencies.”

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has been leading the fight against hunger in the Region since 1982. The Food Bank distributes nearly 9 million meals annually to children, seniors, individuals, and families in Lake and Porter Counties through more than 116+ partner agencies, Mobile Market food distributions and other programs/services. To learn more about the fight against hunger in Northwest Indiana, please visit www.foodbanknwi.org.

Food Finders Food Bank

“Food Finders Food Bank is proud to partner with PHA,” said Kyle Puetz, Director of Development Operations, Food Finders Food Bank. “We believe that the nearly 76,000 individuals facing food insecurity across North Central Indiana should have access to nutritious foods to fuel themselves. In partnering with PHA, Food Finders will be better equipped to make healthy options available across all of its programs.”

Food Finders Food Bank collaborates with other organizations to provide food for people in need and to educate, advocate and address food insecurity in North Central Indiana.

Food Gatherers

“Food Gatherers understands that food insecurity is a health equity issue, and those with limited food access experience health challenges, and that this disproportionately impacts Communities of Color,” said Lauren Grossman, Communications Coordinator, Food Gatherers. “We are excited to work with Partnership for a Healthier America to update our system to understand the nutritional quality of food provided to our community. Our neighbors who access food through our partner pantries need and deserve a variety of foods that support their health. By working with PHA we will be able to learn from other food banks as we make targeted, strategic decisions to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered, while accounting for and responding to the dietary preferences and cultural food practices of clients served.”

Food Gatherers is the food bank and food rescue program serving Washtenaw County, Michigan. The lead agency for hunger relief in the County, Food Gatherers supports a network of more than 170 community partners with free and low-cost food, deliveries, and trainings. We operate several large direct service programs — the Food Gatherers Community Kitchen, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Healthy School Pantry Program — and work closely with community schools, universities, and healthcare providers to address gaps in services. Because hunger will not be solved with food alone, we advocate for policies and system changes to create an equitable food system.

Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank

“Our core mission is to provide additional food resources across our service region, but we know it is not enough simply to push food through our warehouse, said Dan Maher, President & CEO of Frederickburg Regional Food Bank. "We are aiming to sharpen our focus to better serve those populations that are often marginalized by disparities in food access and adequate nutrition. Our partnership with PHA is a step in that direction by uniting us to their network of resources and tools to support those initiatives. We are excited to work with PHA to promote food as the key to improved health for so many of those we serve.”

Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank – Serving Planning District 16 which includes the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Caroline, the City of Fredericksburg, and Locust Grove. The food bank secures and distributes more than 4.7 million pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The FRFB provides support for over 160 community partners, operating more than 250 food relief programs to feed children, families, and seniors in need.

Freestore Foodbank

“As a foodbank, our main goal is to provide local families access to essential food assistance,” said Trish Rayner, Chief Development Officer & VP of External Affairs. “Our partnership with PHA will ensure that we’re not just providing enough food to support the community, but the right nutritional value to keep our region healthy and strong.”

Freestore Foodbank is one of the 200 food bank members of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Freestore Foodbank’s mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and thriving community in the 20-county service area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more information, please visit freestorefoodbank.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana

“In Indiana alone, we face a meal gap of more than 53 million meals,” said John Elliott, President & CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. “Unsurprisingly, that meal gap consists significantly of nutrient-dense foods such as protein, dairy and fresh produce. In turn, poor nutrition has a significant impact on health outcomes with nearly 40% of food insecure individuals reporting chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. As our organization aims to close this gap, it is imperative that our neighbors have access to both the quantity and the quality of foods they need to thrive. We are thrilled to work with Partnership for a Healthier America to provide just that.”

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana was founded in 1980 by a group of concerned citizens who felt strongly that no one should go hungry. Since that time, we have distributed over half a billion pounds of food and critical grocery items through a committed network of 250+ food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and community partners. In addition to food distribution to hunger relief agencies throughout our 21-county service area, Gleaners also operates Fresh Connect Central, one of 7 regional produce cooperatives for Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization.

Great Plains Food Bank

“The Great Plains Food Bank is committed to providing healthful, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for our neighbors,” said Melissa Sobolik, CEO, Great Plains Food Bank. “We believe it is our responsibility to provide food that improves peoples’ health as we pursue our mission to end hunger. Together, with the support of Partnership for a Healthier America, we’re excited to take the next step in advancing nutrition and building opportunity for everyone to live a healthy, active life.”

As the only food bank in North Dakota, Great Plains Food Bank has been working to end hunger since 1983. The Great Plains Food Bank is committed to a hunger-free future for our neighbors in North Dakota and Clay County, Minn. Our mission is built upon strong partnerships that increase clients’ access to food while decreasing the barriers they encounter. With service, passion and innovation as our guiding values, we believe that, together, we can end hunger.

Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP)

“Healthy food often costs more than less nutritious options, making it unreachable for many of the families we serve,” said Allyn Glenn-Angell, Food Reservoir Development Manager, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program. “Individuals with a healthy diet are less likely to face chronic health conditions that require expensive medication, will miss less work and school, and have more energy. By partnering with PHA we can help provide families, seniors, and children with nutritious food that will help them care for themselves and set them up for success in other areas of life.”

We are HACAP - a community action agency that is helping people develop skills to become successful and build strong communities. HACAP serves 72,000 individuals yearly spanning across 45 initiatives including the HACAP Food Reservoir, a program that is at the heart of HACAP. The Food Reservoir distributes healthy, wholesome foods to seven counties and 150 partner agencies, mobile food pantries, senior totes, backpack programs and more! For more information, visit hacap.org.

Hoosier Hills Food Bank

“Hoosier Hills Food Bank is excited to work with the Partnership for a Healthier America to help us develop a better understanding of the nutritional value of the food we distribute,” said Julio Alonso, Executive Director, Hoosier Hills Food Bank. “The populations we serve are at risk and vulnerable, making nutrition even more of a concern than for the general public. We hope to glean insights that will help us proactively improve the health and nutrition of our clients.”

Hoosier Hills Food Bank collects and distributes over 5 million pounds of food annually in six south central Indiana counties. HHFB partners with nearly 100 non-profit member agencies and sponsors a mobile food pantry and senior food box program. The food bank has a garden and gleaning program, a fresh produce distribution program (Garden Route on Wheels) and a prepared food rescue program (Meal Share).

Kansas Food Bank

“Results of our last hunger study indicated that 27% of the households we serve have at least one member with diabetes and 48% of households report at least one member with high blood pressure” said Brian Walker, President & CEO, Kansas Food Bank. “Partnering with PHA will help us further our goal of getting healthy foods out to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.”

The Kansas Food Bank mission is to provide comprehensive and compassionate HungerCare whenever and wherever it is needed to safeguard the health, well-being and productivity of food-insecure Kansas families and their children, as well as senior citizens, the homeless and the chronically ill and impoverished among us.

MANNA FoodBank

“Food is the foundation of good health, and the people we serve across Western North Carolina face distinct challenges when it comes to accessing healthy foods,“ said Hannah Randall, CEO, MANNA FoodBank. "At MANNA, we have a long-standing commitment to providing nutritious food to support the wellbeing of every family who turns to us.”

MANNA FoodBank is the Feeding America affiliate serving 16 counties of western North Carolina. MANNA’s mission is to involve, educate, and unite people in the work of ending hunger in Western North Carolina, and works with an alliance of partner pantries, schools, community organizations, and individuals to address food insecurity for more than 125,000 people each year facing an empty plate. In 2020/2021, MANNA provided a record 25.5 million pounds of food to support WNC families – the equivalent of 58,000+ meals every day. Visit mannafoodbank.org to learn more about how MANNA is working to support food access and the health and wellbeing of WNC families.

Midwest Food Bank

“Joining PHA is a step forward in our journey to increased nutrition in the food we distribute at Midwest Food Bank,” said Jada Hoerr, Chief Resource Officer, Midwest Food Bank. “We are thankful for the collaboration and partnership.”

As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. Our vision is to provide industry-leading food relief to those in need while feeding them spiritually.

North Texas Foodbank

“The North Texas Food Bank is committed to closing the hunger gap by providing well-balanced and nutritious meals to the more than 800,000 North Texans facing hunger in our service area,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “We are proud to collaborate with Partnership for a Healthier America in our shared mission to provide healthy eating choices for those who are facing food insecurity.”

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked non-profit hunger-relief organization that sources, packages and distributes food through a network of more than 200 Partner Agencies across 13 North Texas counties. The organization also provides food to children, seniors and families through various direct-delivery programs, including mobile pantries. In its last fiscal year, the NTFB provided access to more than 125 million nutritious meals, a 28 percent increase over the prior year.

Northern Illinois Food Bank

“The timing of this new collaboration with Partnership for a Healthier America is perfect,” said Julie Yurko, President & CEO, Northern Illinois Food Bank. “As we roll out our new strategic plan, one key tenet is enhancing our food supply so we can provide nutritious food for our neighbors to thrive. This partnership offers unique tools that will help us easily and accurately assess the nutritious value of the millions of pounds of food coming through our distribution centers, and they will guide our future decision making as we acquire food. We’re also impressed by the brain trust PHA has assembled. The knowledge and experiences of the food bank collaborators as well as other health experts will be invaluable to our team as together we address food insecurity as a social detriment of health.”

Our vision at Northern Illinois Food Bank is for everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive. A 501©(3) nonprofit organization and proud member of Feeding America, we serve our neighbors in 13 counties with dignity, equity and convenience, providing 250,000 meals a day. We bring together manufacturers, local and corporate grocers, area farmers, corporations, foundations, and individuals who donate food and funding, and each week nearly 1,000 volunteers help us evaluate, repack and distribute food. We also proudly partner with more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and youth and senior feeding programs to provide nutritious food and resources. Our distribution centers are located in Geneva, Park City, Rockford and Joliet. Find out how you can get help, volunteer, donate, or get involved at SolveHungerToday.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Operation Food Search

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with PHA and for the ability to measure and track the nutritional value of the food we provide to the community,” said Kristen Wild, President & CEO, Operation Food Search. “This support is especially meaningful in conjunction with our new Nutrition Policy and our work at the intersection of food and medicine.”

Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization that provides free food, nutrition education and innovative programs proven to reduce food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable food. The agency provides food and services to 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis – one-third of whom are children – through a network of 330 community partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties and the city of St. Louis. For more information, call (314) 726-5355 or visit www.OperationFoodSearch.org.

Racine County Food Bank

“RCFB continuously strives to provide healthy, nutritious food to our affiliates,” said Dan G Taivalkoski, Executive Director, Racine County Food Bank. “Our partnership with PHA will enable us to increase our capacity for distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables and better monitor the shelf stable products that we purchase to be sure we’re getting the most nutritional bang for the buck.”

The Racine County Food Bankis a United Way Partner Provider that distributes over 1 Million pounds of food at no cost to our community through a network of emergency food providers including food pantries, homeless shelters, community meal programs and social service agencies that offer a meal or snack with their programs.

River Bend Food Bank

“For the first time in our 40-year history, River Bend Food Bank has made increasing the distribution of nutritious foods, connecting our guests to on-ramps for better nutrition, and furthering the connection between food and health a part of our strategic plan,” said Mike Miller, President & CEO, River Bend Food Bank. “PHA is a perfect partner for this initiative, and we are excited to join the national cohort working toward these ends.”

No one should go hungry. River Bend Food Bank works with 300+ partner agencies in 23 counties to make sure people facing hunger have reliable access to healthy food. Leading the community-wide effort to eliminate hunger in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, the Food Bank distributes over 20 million meals each year to hungry people through food pantries, schools, senior residences, and community organizations. River Bend Food Bank will feed people today and end hunger tomorrow.

Second Harvest Food Bank CCL

“Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is excited for our new partnership,” said Tyra Jackson, Executive Director, Second Harvest Food Bank CCL. “It is important to provide not only food but healthy food to our neighbors facing food insecurity. This partnership will allow us to build the infrastructure needed to better serve our community and provide more nutritious meals to the people we serve.”

The mission of Ohio Tri County Food Alliance/Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is to alleviate hunger in Clark, Champaign, and Logan Counties by sourcing and distributing nutritious food to people in need, building community partnerships, and mobilizing the public to support hunger relief. Second Harvest is committed to compassion for those suffering from food insecurity in our communities served.

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana

“Second Harvest Food Bank believes everyone, including those who experience food insecurity, deserves to have healthy and nutritious food choices,” said Sunni Matters, Director of Impact, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. “We are excited to be part of the Healthy Hunger Relief Program through Partnership for a Healthier America so we can work toward establishing a formal ranking system of inventory. Our goal is to use this opportunity to positively impact our buying decisions, provide solid data and research that can help us make informed decisions, and most importantly, help us take more significant steps toward improving food equity.”

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is the region’s largest hunger-relief organization serving over 100 pantries and meal programs in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash Counties. With a vision to see people in East Central Indiana free from hunger and self-sufficient, our mission is to provide help for today by feeding the hungry and hope for tomorrow by addressing the causes of food insecurity while empowering people toward self-sufficiency.

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio

"We feel the time is right to make a move towards forming a strong food policy council, bringing together our resources and those within the community,” said Julie Chase-Morefield, President & CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. “We need to go beyond number of pounds served. We need to forge new connections with healthcare providers, tackle transportation hardships for seniors and strengthen local urban farming.”

As the area’s largest hunger-relief organization, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio grows hope in our community by creating pathways for nutritious food and envisions a bright future for all by cultivating a healthy, hunger-free community.

Second Harvest secures and distributes nearly 14 million pounds of food and grocery products annually; and works in partnership with 110 member agencies and 10+ school districts including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, Mobile School pantries, after-school programs, Mobile Produce Pantries and Mobile Pantries.

Second Harvest Heartland

“Second Harvest Heartland’s commitment to health is evident throughout our food distribution and hunger relief services,” said Jana Martin, FOODRx Program Manager & Registered Dietitian, Second Harvest Heartland. “We were among the first food banks in the nation to begin sourcing and distributing fresh produce at a major scale and, of all food distributed last year, 40% was fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, through our FOODRx program operating in partnership with local healthcare systems and health plans, we work to improve the health of our neighbors by delivering nutrition prescription food boxes that are culturally and medically tailored to clients impacted by diet-related chronic diseases. We are excited to team up with Partnership for a Healthier America to leverage the experience and learnings that PHA has had throughout the many other partners and initiatives they have worked on to promote health and nutrition. We have had a desire to take the nutrition focus of the food we source and provide in the community to the next level and our partnership will enable us to move that initiative forward.”

At Second Harvest Heartland, we work to end hunger through partnerships. As one of the largest, most efficient, and most innovative hunger relief organizations in the nation, we leverage our unique position in the emergency food chain to make an impact. In close partnership with a network of 360 food shelves and nearly 1,000 partner programs, we support those in our region facing hunger today.

Sheboygan County Food Bank

“Sheboygan County Food Bank values the ability to make sure our clients have access to highly nutritious produce throughout the year,” said Kim LaPoint, Director of Finance and Operations, Sheboygan County Food Bank. “We believe that every person has the right to access healthy food and we are on a mission to provide food insecure households with as much healthy produce as possible. We can’t thank Partnership for a Healthier America enough for this extremely impactful opportunity to distribute healthy food while improving the overall accountability of the food we provide.”

Sheboygan County Food Bank (SCFB) has a mission to lead Sheboygan County’s efforts to increase the food security of its residents by distributing healthy emergency food and fostering innovative partnerships. SCFB distributes food to food pantries and other partner organizations in Sheboygan County. Partner organizations then directly serve local individuals and families. SCFB does not charge for food, delivery, or partner network membership. Each month, SCFB provides healthy, nutritious, and free food to make sure that over 3,000 families don’t go hungry.

South Michigan Food Bank

“At South Michigan Food Bank, we know that food can be the foundation for a healthy lifestyle,” said Summer Sunnock, Advancement Director, South Michigan Food Bank. “That’s why we’ve been distributing 145% more fresh fruits and vegetables than we were pre-pandemic and sharing fresh recipes at our distributions. Partnering with PHA will help us take this focus to the next level and give us the tools to evaluate the nutritional value of the food we’re providing so that we can create a culture of health in our community.”

South Michigan Food Bank is enhancing the quality of life for those struggling with hunger in South Michigan! Partnerships with nearly 300 agencies make our programs like Fresh Food Distributions, the Fresh Food Pharmacy, and Mobile Market thrive in our service area of eight Michigan counties: Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, and St. Joseph. We are focused on providing both fresh foods and shelf-stable items for well-rounded meals, ensuring our neighbors can supplement their meals, not make sacrifices.

Southeast Ohio Food Bank HAPCAP

“We recently launched HAPCAP for Health, a new initiative focused on addressing the social determinants of health through a variety of channels, including case management and resource navigation to assist community members in accessing services and connecting with healthcare providers,” s*aid Andrew Mayle, Director, Food & Nutrition, HAPCAP*. “Working with PHA will give us tools to better understand the nutrition of the food in our Foodbank, and the people who receive our food will benefit the most from having access to more nutritious foods. Everyone should have access to basic necessities, such as healthy and nutritious foods. We are very excited about our collaboration with PHA!”

HAPCAP operates the Southeast Ohio Foodbank and Regional Kitchen, which provides access to affordable, quality food resources to those individuals, organizations, and other entities seeking to mitigate food insecurity and promote good nutrition in an efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable way. HAPCAP, as an umbrella organization, provides a range of services designed to fight poverty in the communities we serve. In addition to our food programs and services, we offer programming to connect individuals to employment, safe and secure housing, transportation, and quality childcare. Our mission is to mobilize resources to empower individuals and communities through advocacy and quality services that promote self-sufficiency and improved quality of life.

St. Louis Area Food Bank

“Our mission at the St. Louis Area Foodbank is to nourish people, empower communities, and transform systems - all with the lens of ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences to live an active and healthy life, said Meredith Knopp, President & CEO of St. Louis Area Foodbank. “This means that we are listening to our partners, understanding the unique cultural and dietary needs of our communities, and building new relationships with food producers to raise awareness and access to the very best foods for our community.”

“In support of our mission, working with PHA will allow us to implement Healthy Eating Resource (HER) Guidelines and the Supporting Wellness At Pantries (SWAP) tool within our foodbank as well as provide them to our partner agencies,” asserts Knopp. “This easy to understand and turn-key resource will allow all of us to directly impact the health and wellness of those we serve in our 26-county service area.”

The St. Louis Area Foodbank serves those facing food insecurity in 26 counties across Missouri and Illinois. As a member of Feeding America, the Foodbank joins nearly 200 foodbanks across the United States in filling the meal gap. Everyone deserves access to healthy and nutritious foods. Through our network of partners and programs, we are nourishing people, empowering communities, and transforming systems to revolutionize the hunger relief system.

Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank

“We are excited about the opportunity to track and understand our mix of healthy foods and use that to better analyze our inventory and donation acceptance policies in a more strategic, intentional way,” said Jennifer Buell, Development Director, Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank. “This opportunity has come at the perfect time for us as we have recently installed an inventory scanner system which will make the data input process simple while seamlessly integrating the data into our inventory control system.”

Catholic Charities Terre Haute provides comprehensive services that not only meet our neighbors’ most essential and basic need for nutritious food, but we nourish the minds, bodies and spirits of our neighbors by meeting their needs for safe shelter, quality youth programming and critical human and household needs. In west central Indiana, one in six people is food insecure (without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food), and more than 10,000 children go to bed hungry. As a member of Feeding America, the largest domestic emergency food bank network, Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank collects, warehouses and distributes more than 4 million pounds of food annually to more than 85 soup kitchens, food pantries, senior centers, youth centers and other charitable agencies in 7 counties. Through collaboration with key community partners, the unwavering support of our donors and the dedication of our volunteers, Catholic Charities provides help and creates hope for our community’s children, adults, families and seniors. We serve all without financial regard, no matter their social, economic, religious, racial or ethnic background.

Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank

“We are pleased to collaborate with Partnership for a Healthier America as we implement a new nutrition ranking system,” said James M. Caldwell, President & CEO, Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank. “These guidelines are a significant step forward in supporting food banks, increasing the evidence base for procuring and delivering nutritious food, and improving the overall health and welfare of the individuals we serve.”

The Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank Inc., is a non-profit, 501©(3) organization. It was founded in 1984 to solicit, collect and store donations of surplus food and grocery products from all segments of the food industry, as well as solicit and collect monetary donations for the purchase of food products. We then serve as clearinghouse for these foodstuffs for agencies, such as food pantries and day care centers that feed the hungry throughout the region, providing them access to wholesome food. Our qualified agencies distribute the collected product to the hungry in Northwest Ohio. Member agencies include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, rehabilitation centers, special programs for the elderly, group homes, holiday food basket programs and non-profit day care centers.

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ABOUT PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHIER AMERICA

Partnership for a Healthier America is the premier national nonprofit organization working to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. At PHA, we believe that there is no true equity in society without health equity and that there is no health equity without food equity. Over the course of a decade, PHA has partnered with more than 300 corporations, nonprofits, and organizations around the country with the vision that all families in every zip code have affordable access to healthy, sustainable food. Visit PHA at ahealthieramerica.org.

Media Contact: Megan Orciari, morciari@ahealthieramerica.org