Healthy Food Access
Goal: Reduce food insecurity in Montgomery County by creating system-level changes in the coordination and delivery of food assistance resources, and by increasing access to healthy food for our most vulnerable communities.
Action: In April 2017, IPHI released a Request for Proposals to facilitate community-based approaches to the TCI strategy areas. Primary Care Coalition (PCC) and the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC) were awarded funding to implement innovative approaches to community-based food access.
PCC and a group of community partners implemented “Food is Medicine,” a systems approach to food security screening and referral between safety-net health care clinics and food and nutrition service providers. MCFC funding supported the implementation of the Montgomery County Food Security Plan, including the creation of new training and resources for food assistance organizations, identification of gaps in services, increased outreach and communication, and conduction of food security data collection and evaluation.
More information on this strategy can be accessed via our two-part webinar: Community Food Access – Reducing Food Insecurity and Obesity through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative
- Part 1: Hear about the multi-faceted approach of the MCFC and its partners to implement the Montgomery County Food Security Plan, including the creation of a Food Assistance Resource Directory, a comprehensive list of hunger relief resources and emergency food providers in Montgomery County.
- Part 2: Learn about PCC’s work with a group of partners to implement a screening and referral process for food-insecure clients within safety-net health care clinics.
