The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today announced community health center and food organization collaborations that will help bring healthy food to communities that need it the most.
BPHC will award $120,000 in grant funding to four community health centers that will work directly with non-profits to increase food access by scaling up programs at health centers near public housing developments and connecting public housing residents with information on where to find affordable and nutritious food.
"Food insecurity is a real threat to many Boston families. With the holidays right around the corner, many of us are thinking about how to give back and to support the most vulnerable members of our community," said Monica Valdes Lupi, JD, MPH. "We're grateful to be partnering with community health centers to support these non-profits who work in that spirit year round, increasing access to nutritious foods to help residents thrive in all aspects of their lives."
In 2013 and 2015, public and rental assisted housing residents were nearly three times more likely than other Boston residents to report that they were hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food, according to the Boston Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, a biennial telephone survey administered by the Boston Public Health Commission to Boston residents.
Each of the community health centers funded by this grant has committed to introducing screening for food insecurity and to beginning a program of referrals for food resources located in the patient's community.
The Fresh Truck, a non-profit mobile fruit and vegetable market was awarded $10,000 for operational costs associated with expanding their food offerings. The Fresh Truck reaches neighborhoods with limited access to affordable and healthy foods. The grant will make it possible to offer additional foods including milk, meats and fish to their offerings and to operate year round.
The work to increase access to healthy foods builds on existing partnerships between BPHC and the South End Community Health Center, the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, the Upham's Corner Health Center, and Whittier Street Health Center. With this partnership, the community health centers have already seen measurable success at reaching populations that are vulnerable to the threat of food insecurity.
Upham's Corner Health Center in Dorchester has integrated food insecurity screenings and referrals into its social services department to better connect its patients with food resources, including Fair Foods.
Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center has created a video with youth from South Street Housing Development that addresses residents' challenges with accessing healthy and affordable food and highlights some of the strategies the residents employs. The video will be used to educate health center staff on the issue as they integrate food insecurity screening and referral into their system.
Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury involved youth from nearby housing developments in a health and job readiness program that included working in the health center's garden. The participating youth were able to share the garden produce with their families.
With the receipt of a parking waiver from the Boston Transportation Department, the South End Community Health Center was able to bring the Fresh Truck to the health center, benefiting residents of the many surrounding public housing developments, other patients and neighbors. With the service expanded from two hours a month to twelve, residents were able to purchase nearly five times more produce, making it the most trafficked Boston location.
"It's very important for us to work with our patients to not only address medical issues, but also social determinants of health," said South End Community Health Center Chief Operations Officer Karen van Unen. "The Fresh Truck is a key component to help our patients access healthy eating and healthy foods."