Elevance Health Foundation Commits $2.3 Million to New Food as Medicine Programs Across the Country

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elevance Health Foundation has awarded 22 new grants totaling more than $2.3 million to support food as medicine programs across the country. These grants will help nonprofit organizations improve access to nutritious food and advance clinical outcomes for individuals and families experiencing food and nutrition insecurity, particularly those living with diet-related chronic conditions. This latest round of funding is part of the Foundation’s five-year, $150 million commitment to addressing the physical, behavioral, and social needs of under-resourced communities.

The newly awarded grants will support a critical need, as recent data shows that one in seven households – or nearly 48 million Americans – experience food insecurity, limiting access to affordable, nutritious foods and undermining overall well-being. People who are food insecure also tend to have health care costs nearly $2,000 higher per year than those who are food secure due to greater prevalence of diet-related chronic conditions. Together, these 22 grantees will implement interventions designed to reduce food and nutrition insecurity, improve clinical outcomes for individuals at high social risk, and promote long-term health and stability within the communities they serve.

“Food and nutrition play a critical role in health outcomes, yet too many individuals and families lack consistent access to the nutritious foods they need to thrive,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer at Elevance Health. “These new grants will support organizations that are integrating food into care in practical, community-driven ways. By investing in food as medicine, we are helping address a critical social driver of health while supporting better health outcomes over time.”

Since 2021, the Foundation has invested $30 million to more than 50 nonprofit partners in food as medicine initiatives, focusing primarily on clinical outcomes. The previous three-year grant cycle yielded measurable results:

• Nearly 75% of eligible program participants reported improvement in overall health
• Nearly 80% of eligible program participants reduced their hospital or emergency room admissions
• Reached more than 1.8 million individuals and provided more than three million meals
• Nearly 75% of program participants reported reduced food insecurity, and more than 95% reported increased access to nutritious foods

“Food as medicine is about more than food alone — it’s about dignity, access, and whole-person health,” said Carrie Stoltzfus, CEO of Food & Friends, an organization the Foundation awarded funding to last year. “The support from Elevance Health Foundation has allowed us to serve our most vulnerable neighbors by home-delivering Medically Tailored Meals, Medically Tailored Groceries, and Medical Nutrition Therapy. This partnership is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients, improving health outcomes, and contributing positively to the communities we serve.”

The following organizations will receive new grants to launch their programs in communities across the country:

• Augusta Locally Grown
• Brighter Bites
• Clinic by the Bay
• Feeding America Tampa Bay, Inc.
• Food & Friends, Inc.
• ForKids, Inc.
• Friends of Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital
• Greater Richmond Fit4Kids
• HATCH for Hunger
• Hunger Task Force, Inc.
• LifeCare Alliance
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
• Martin Luther King Jr. Community Health Foundation
• Morris Heights Health Center
• Neighborhood Health Clinic, Inc.
• Nevada Diabetes Association for Children and Adults, Inc.
• SERVE, Inc.
• The University of North Florida Foundation, Inc.
• United Way of Southern Nevada
• Urban Roots Garden Classrooms
• Virginia Foundation for Community College Education
• Wholesome Wave Georgia, Inc.

For more information about the Elevance Health Foundation and future RFPs, please visit elevancehealth.foundation/for-grantseekers.

About Elevance Health Foundation

Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc. The Foundation works to improve the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal-infant health; behavioral health; and food as medicine. Through its key areas of focus, the Foundation also strategically aligns with Elevance Health's focus on community health and becoming a lifetime, trusted health partner that is fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. To learn more about Elevance Health Foundation, please visit www.elevancehealth.foundation or follow us @ElevanceFND on X and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.