Identifying community organizations with the capacity and potential for partnership and collaboration is important for all stages of program development including design, implementation, and evaluation. Community organizations bring diverse experience, expertise, and networks to the table. This can help to maximize efficiency, improve credibility, and expand the reach of initiatives. Community collaboration also introduces hospitals to a larger network of organizations and agencies with whom evaluation materials can be shared and future partnerships can be formed.

The Build Healthy Places Network developed an online tool, Partner Finder, that allows users to navigate multiple directories of community health and development organizations that may be conducting similar work in their regions. County Health Rankings and Roadmaps also provides a Partner Center to help identify right partners and engage them effectively.

Food banks and pantries

Food banks and food pantries (sometimes called “food shelves”) provide critical food assistance to economically disadvantaged individuals and families when they need it most. There are a variety of ways that health care facilities can partner with food banks and local pantries to combat food insecurity and reduce risk of diet-related health conditions, particularly by helping to expand offerings of fresh, healthy food. Feeding America provides a directory to locate local food pantries and meal sites.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Directories may help you find local food producers in your area that may be interested in participating in a gleaning program to supply fresh, local produce to community food banks and pantries. The USDA defines gleaning as “the act of collecting excess foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, restaurants, state/county fairs, or any other sources in order to provide it to those in need.”

Fruit and vegetable incentive and prescription programs

Fruit and vegetable incentive (FVRx) programs increase produce purchasing power for individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity or suffering from one or more diet-related health conditions by providing coupons that can be redeemed for healthy foods from local vendors. These programs are often coupled with nutrition education to encourage sustained behavior change. Hospital community benefit programs can participate in fruit and vegetable incentive programs in several ways, including providing financial support for the vouchers and other roles in coordinating and implementing the programs.

• Convenient partner locations for participant enrollment and voucher distribution can include:
  • Individuals visiting government assistance offices may screen positive for food insecurity and benefit from FVRx programs. The USDA provides directories of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service (WIC) locations.
  • Clients of food banks and pantries will likely screen positive for food insecurity and benefit from FVRx programs. Feeding America provides a directory to locate local food pantries and meal sites.
  • The federally funded Head Start program supports the healthy growth and development of children in low-income families. The Head Start Center locator enables users to identify Head Start offices in their community.
  • Local housing authorities, public housing agencies (PHA), and senior living settings can be convenient locations for fruit and vegetable incentive program enrollment and voucher distribution. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a comprehensive PHA list organized by state and zip code.
  • Community centers, senior centers, and places of worship located in underserved communities can be convenient locations to implement fruit and vegetable incentive programs
  • Community food/advocacy organizations have similar goals of reducing food insecurity and increasing healthy food access.
  • Hospitals and community health centers are committed to promoting community health and can be valuable FVRx partners.
• Fruit and vegetable incentive programs have the greatest impact when there are a variety of participating farmers markets (including mobile markets), grocery stores, and corner stores located in areas of greatest need. All participating retailers and vendors need to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)/SNAP benefits in order to facilitate use by target populations.

Farmers markets and mobile markets

Farmers markets can help to increase access to healthy foods, particularly when located in vulnerable communities and when paired with a fruit and vegetable incentive program or when the market accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service (WIC) benefits. Mobile markets can help to further the impact of farmers markets by delivering fresh produce to low-income neighborhoods. Hospital community benefit programs can support farmers markets and mobile markets in numerous ways. If the hospital is located in a low-income community or area with inadequate access to fresh, healthy food, hosting a farmers market for community members on hospital grounds can be an effective strategy. Community benefit resources can purchase and maintain mobile market vehicles and hospital staff can lead nutrition education classes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Marketing Agricultural Service provides a National Farmers Market directory and databases to facilitate identifying and connecting with local farmers markets.

• The USDA developed a list of SNAP-authorized farmers markets in the United States.
• It may be useful to identify and connect with local food producers interested in participating in a new farmers market. Local Harvest provides a variety of resources for connecting with food producers/farmers in your area.
• Faculty and students at local medical schools or schools of public health may lead and evaluate food and nutrition education classes held at a farmers market.
  • For example, Penn State Medical Center paired medical student “mentors” with families participating in an initiative that integrated fruit and vegetable incentives and nutrition education at a farmers market and community garden.
• Health care facilities, local government agencies, and community-based organizations may distribute fruit and vegetable incentive vouchers, which are valuable resources to overcome economic barriers to purchasing produce.

Community supported agriculture programs

Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs can increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when produce is distributed at convenient community-based locations in underserved communities and when CSA shares are subsidized for eligible community members. Hospital community benefit can support CSA programs in several ways such as subsidizing shares for low-income families. This can be an effective way to increase access to healthy foods. 

• It is important to establish connections with local food producers and farmers from whom the CSA shares will be purchased. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Agricultural Service provides a CSA directory and Local Harvest provides a variety of resources for connecting with food producers, farmers, and active CSAs in your area.
• The following locations may serve as convenient CSA pickup sites:  
  • Many universities have a sustainability office equipped with undergraduate and graduate student employees who would be available to supervise and record weekly or biweekly CSA pickups.
  • Most recreation centers have the shared goal of improving community health and supporting healthy lifestyles.
  • Community centers, senior living settings, and places of worship are often convenient locations for community members to pick up their CSA shares.
  • Community food/advocacy organizations have similar goals of reducing food insecurity and increasing healthy food access.
  • Hospitals and community health centers are committed to promoting community health and can be valuable CSA partners.
  • The federally funded Head Start program supports the healthy growth and development of children in low-income families. The Head Start Center locator enables users to identify Head Start offices in their community.
  • Local housing authorities and public housing agencies (PHA) can be convenient CSA pickup sites. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a comprehensive PHA list organized by state and zip code.
  • Particular organizations may provide convenient pickup sites in different communities. The Denver Botanic Garden, for example, began a CSA program in 2009 with support from a Kaiser Permanente grant and serves as the site for members to pick up their full or reduced price shares.

Community gardens and farms

Community gardens and farms can increase access to healthy foods while simultaneously improving knowledge of planting, growing, and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Food, nutrition, and cooking education can be incorporated into these initiatives, furthering participant knowledge. Community and urban farms can offer additional benefits including job creation, workforce development training, and continuing education opportunities.

• It can be useful to identify and connect with an established urban garden or farm to serve as a program site or partner. There are multiple directories and databases available for identifying urban gardens and farms in your community. Many regions have urban agriculture mapping projects to facilitate identification of urban gardens and farms locally.  
• The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of various community gardening stakeholders that offers tools for connecting with local gardens, network building, and expansion.
• Local workforce development organizations can work with community farms and gardens to support internships, apprenticeship, certificate programs, and other job training opportunities in their communities.
  • For example, The Windy City Harvest Apprenticeship program offers a nine-month hands-on certificate course in sustainable urban agriculture.  
• Some communities have food system advocacy organizations that implement capacity building initiatives for minority, women, and small-scale farmers.
  • For example,  Michigan Food & Farming Systems connects beginning and historically underserved farmers to each other and resource opportunities.

Food policy councils

A food policy council is a group of stakeholders from across the food system that includes a diversity of sectors and industries as well as private, public, and nonprofit organizations. Food policy councils have a variety of food-related goals including improving healthy food access, addressing food security, and supporting local and sustainable food producers. Council member organizations can be valuable partners in healthy food access initiatives.

• The Johns Hopkins Center for Livable Future released a digital Food Policy Council Map to facilitate identifying Food Policy Councils in various community service areas and regions.
• The Healthy Food Access Portal is an interactive tool that enables users to identify policy efforts in their region.

School meal programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)  National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are designed to ensure children have access to nutritious, school-based meals and are an important safety net for children from low-income households. School meal programs present an opportunity for hospitals to support well-established efforts that have been proven effective in promoting children’s health and in alleviating food insecurity. Food and nutrition education and policy advocacy can complement federally funded school meal programs.

• Local elementary, middle, and high schools where school meal programs are implemented
• Food Policy Councils may assist in advocating for and developing policies that will improve nutrition standards in schools.

Summer, weekend, and afterschool meal and snack programs

Summer, afterschool, weekend, and meal bag/backpack programs give low-income children access to nutritious foods when school is not in session. Hospitals can host or provide support to programs hosted at other community sites through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Nutrition Program and the Child and Adult Day Care Program’s At-Risk Afterschool initiatives. Health care facilities can also promote program participation in a variety of ways.

• The USDA Food and Nutrition service developed an interactive Summer Meal Site Finder to locate programs throughout the United States.

Farm to school

Farm-to-school initiatives increase access to fresh, healthy, local food and promote healthier dietary behaviors. Farm-to-school programs provide additional benefits to the community by increasing revenue for local farmers and keeping dollars circulating in the local economy. Hospital support for farm-to-school activities can take the form of financial contributions to fund program activities, staff conducting food and nutrition education, and technical assistance to support local purchasing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) farm-to-school program offers support services, including grants, training and technical assistance and research, to youth and adult educators participating in the National School Lunch Program (and associated programs), Summer Food Service Program,  and the Child and Adult Care Program.

• Local elementary, middle, and high schools where farm-to-school programs may be implemented.
• The National Farm to School Network developed a network map that enables users to learn more about farm-to-school initiatives in their region and connect with core partners.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Directories may help you find local food producers in your area that may be interested in participating in farm-to-school initiatives.
• Food Policy Councils may assist in advocating for and developing policies that will support farm-to-school initiatives.

Healthier corner stores

Healthier corner store initiatives aim to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy food and beverage options in small store settings. These programs have multiple components including increasing the inventory of healthy food and beverage options, advocating for more accurate and informative labeling, and educating customers on healthy food choices. Hospital community benefit programs can participate in healthy corner store initiatives in several ways, including assisting with healthy food marketing materials and providing health screenings or nutrition education activities.

The Food Trust, in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions and Urbane Development, founded the national Healthy Corner Stores Initiative to connect stakeholders across the country.

• Local food policy councils can advocate and draft policies that will improve the accessibility of healthy foods in corner stores.

Connecting food-insecure individuals and households to resources

Once food insecurity is identified as a health issue, it is important that there is a system in place to connect individuals and households to resources to address food needs. Health care initiatives and resources may include an accessible and reliable database of resources, an active referral system, supportive services such as patient navigators, and addressing upstream factors to food insecurity such as housing and poverty. Community resources and partners include:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) provides low-income families with benefits (on a card similar to an ATM debit card) to be used for food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) provides a directory of SNAP Application and Local Office locators.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides low and very-low-income families with cash assistance to help them meet basic needs. See the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ searchable database to find the TANF program contact in your area.
• Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service (WIC) provides low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five with services including vouchers that can be redeemed for healthy foods at most major grocers, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to other services. See the USDA listing of State WIC agencies.
• Home-delivered meals - There are numerous services that offer home-delivered meals to vulnerable populations, such as Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to food insecure seniors. There are other efforts to address food needs through meal delivery. In Philadelphia, for example, organizations partner with catering or dining services to prepare meals delivered by volunteers. Community Servings and Project Angel Heart are nonprofit food and nutrition programs that deliver medically tailored meals to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illness in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (Community Servings) and Colorado (Project Angel Heart). Many food-delivery efforts focus on seniors since this population often faces mobility issues.  
• Food banks partner with local nonprofit organizations to distribute food to families, seniors, and other individuals in need. Feeding America provides a directory to locate local food pantries and meal sites.