Coordinators help food insecure patients move to healthy diet, find transportation

Recognizing that reliable access to nutritious food is integral to overall health, Project Bread, Massachusetts’ leading anti-hunger organization statewide, launched a Health Care Partnerships program in 2020 to help food insecure patients with complex diagnoses and specific dietary needs access healthy food and prepare it properly at home. Coordinators, assisted by program associates like Villanueva, provide one on one services to address barriers that individuals living on a low-income face when accessing food for health-related diets. Examples include connecting people with SNAP, providing basic kitchen equipment, arranging for transportation to shop for food, and distributing gift cards to local grocery stores. The pilot seeks to address the social determinants of health, with food insecurity and access being a major barrier for many individuals.