June 6, 2023, New York: As part of its ongoing work to address food insecurity in New York, the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation announced today a $450,000 grant for the Food Bank For New York City to launch a ‘Food as Medicine’ program. This initiative will support Food Bank For New York City’s work to screen patients for food insecurity during healthcare visits and connect them to on-site food assistance resources at healthcare facilities, community-based food pantries, and meal programs.
The ‘Food as Medicine’ program, a Feeding America® initiative funded by the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation, aims to screen between 2,000 and 3,000 patients over the next three years with the goal of improving food security and health outcomes. This phase of the program will help Food Bank For New York City and Empire BlueCross BlueShield enhance data collection, sharing, and analysis to better understand the needs of people facing hunger and deliver effective solutions.
“Food Bank For New York City’s partnership with Empire BlueCross BlueShield will help us further our mission of ending hunger in our city,” said Leslie Gordon, President & Chief Executive Officer, Food Bank For New York City. “Thanks to this very generous $450,000 grant, we will be able to expand our reach to New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”