Elevance Health Foundation awards $23M for food as medicine programs
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The Elevance Health Foundation is committing nearly $23 million in grants for programs that support the health of individuals and families through food and nutrition. The Indianapolis-based nonprofit says the grants will focus on using food to help prevent or manage chronic conditions, as well as developing long-term solutions for food security and providing nutrition and health education.
The nonprofit, which is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc. (NYSE: ELV), formerly Anthem Inc., says it will award more than $14 million to the Feeding America network to expand its existing food as medicine program. The funding, which is the largest grant in the foundation’s history, will also help fund up to 30 member food banks that are working with healthcare partners.
In addition to Feeding America, the foundation is awarding grants to 19 other organizations, which will receive a combined total of more than $8.7 million over the next three years.
The full list of grant recipients is below:
- Center of Wellness for Urban Women Inc.
- Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio
- Children’s Hunger Alliance
- CORE Community Organized Relief Effort
- Diabetes Association of Atlanta Inc.
- Feeding America
- Fit4Kids
- Food & Friends Inc.
- ForKids Inc.
- Fresno Metropolitan Ministry
- HealthLinc Inc.
- IAAAA Education Institute Inc.
- Meals on Wheels West
- Midwest Food Bank NFP
- Promoting Local Agricultural and Cultural Experiences Inc.
- Project Open Hand
- Thai Community Development Center
- Union Hospital Inc.
- Union Station Homeless Services
- Virginia Foundation for Community College Education
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 34 million people in the U.S. are food insecure.
“Having consistent access to nutritious food is an essential part of maintaining one’s health and improving overall health outcomes. But between continued economic fallout from the pandemic, record-high food prices and more, access to healthy and nutritious food is getting harder for Americans,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, chief health officer of Elevance Health. “We know that hunger, health, and well-being are all deeply connected. That’s why the Elevance Health Foundation is focusing on programs that help prevent the onset of diet-related health conditions and demonstrate improved health outcomes.”
The foundation says food as medicine is one of the four focus areas it is investing up to $90 million over the next three year in, along with maternal health, substance use disorder, and disaster relief.