Seven years ago, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, published what it called a “groundbreaking” report on food bank nutrition policies. It found that food banks with formal nutrition policies distributed more fresh fruits and vegetables than those without, while also distributing much less unhealthy food. (See our article on…
Food Bank News
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – One of the best things a food bank can do to get started in Food is Medicine is to lobby their state food-bank leadership to get involved. That’s because the managed care organizations seeking to use nutritious food to improve public health generally operate statewide and even…
Candice Griego is on the hunt for mutton. As the Director of Tribal Relations at Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque, N.M., Griego has identified mutton as highly desired among members of the Navajo Nation. Tracking it down is one part of her five-months-in role, which is entirely new to the…
Food banks play an essential role in the U.S. food system as aggregators of value. Like a wholesaler or regional distribution center for a retailer, the food bank orchestrates bulk inputs to hunger relief, breaks bulk, and redistributes that value in right-sized quantities to and through their affiliated agencies. The…
WASHINGTON D.C. – At a time when Congress is contemplating cuts to SNAP benefits of up to 20%, a panel of food policy experts meeting last week found reasons to be hopeful that bipartisan collaboration could bolster other aspects of federal food assistance. The panel, speaking at the Consumer Federation…
There’s no doubt that food banks have been getting bigger in recent years, with every quarter bringing news of more food banks opening new, larger warehouses. Partly behind the surge in growth has been a powerful federally-funded financing tool called the New Markets Tax Credit program. Although the program is…
Offering culturally familiar meals to immigrant populations has been expensive, operationally challenging, and not always in line with client expectations. Even so, Open Arms of Minneapolis is fully committed to continuing to serve the meals. “There has to be an organizational commitment where you just say, ‘Yep, we’re gonna do…
GUEST OPINION BY DR. MARK BROWN, CEO OF WEST HOUSTON ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES – As of March 4, the U.S. has imposed a 25% tariff on nearly all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. These measures are expected to raise food prices…
For a food bank or pantry, getting into Food is Medicine often raises more questions than answers. Should an organization embrace produce prescriptions, healthy food boxes, or medically tailored meals, to name a few options? What is the best way to work with the managed care organizations that pay for…