How Does It Work?
• Clinic staff screen patients for food insecurity during intake using the Food Insecurity Screener.
• Food insecure patients are referred to the 12-week program or prescribed a healthy shelf-stable box.
• Patients receive 12 distributions of fresh produce and health focused food boxes.
• 12-week distributions are coupled with brief nutrition and wellness sessions, educational handouts, and recipes to complement the food distribution.
• Some clinics and agencies monitor participants’ health markers and progress over the 12 distributions (3-months) or on a monthly basis as clients are receiving boxes.
Food 4 Health Program
Components
Food 4 Health focused on bringing food assistance and nutrition education to community health centers, health clinics, and faith-based health ministries in order to bridge the gap between hunger relief and health care.
Why Combine Food and Health Care?
• Food insecurity is a serious health risk that affects 1 in 6 North Texans, including 1 in 5 children.
• Food insecure households are more likely to suffer from chronic, diet-related conditions like diabetes and hypertension – and they have a harder time managing them.
• Nutrition assistance is a simple and inexpensive intervention that can support better health outcomes.