Aims to provide more nutritious and fresh food to Georgians in need

ATLANTA, GA, May 08, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — The Atlanta Community Food Bank, the central hub in the fight against hunger in Atlanta and North Georgia, is proud to partner with Kaiser Permanente Georgia. With a generous investment of $150,000 to the Food Bank’s Food as Medicine program and the Gwinnett Community Food Center, the aim is to provide even more nutritious and fresh food to Georgians in need.

The Food as Medicine program focuses on enhancing prevention and improving the overall health of Grady Healthcare Systems patients, many of whom have co-morbidities and chronic illnesses that require ongoing care. This program invests in innovative approaches that engage community partners to address the social determinants of health, including food insecurity and lack of access to healthy, fresh foods.

“The Atlanta Community Food Bank is grateful to Kaiser Permanente for its commitment to helping our neighbors receive more nutritious and fresh food,” said Kyle Waide, President and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank. “With this investment, we can continue to innovate and address the root causes of food insecurity and poor health in our community.”

As the Food Bank sees a significant increase in the number of people seeking food assistance, the Food as Medicine program and the Community Food Center provide greater access to nutritious food for families by operating food pantries where there are gaps in the Food Bank’s service area, while addressing the social determinants of health.

The Community Food Center model operates as a client Choice model, which allows families to choose healthy foods such as fresh produce, lean meats, and necessary household products. The Community Food Center is part of the Food Bank’s strategic plan to increase access to nutritious food wherever need exceeds the capacity of local resources.

This model was initially piloted with 300 low-income, food-insecure households at the Food Bank, and the pilot was extremely successful in providing food and other services, as well as increasing household income and stability. The first CFC in Gwinnett County opened during the summer of 2020.

Clients are also offered screening and application assistance for public support programs, such as SNAP, through the Food Bank’s Benefits Outreach Program, ensuring that they have the tools they need to increase financial and household stability.

For more information about the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s efforts to fight hunger, please visit www.acfb.org.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank works to end hunger with the food, people and big ideas needed to ensure our neighbors have the nourishment to lead healthy and productive lives. Far too many people in our own community experience hunger every day, including children, seniors and working families. Through more than 700 community-based, nonprofit partners in 29 counties, we help more than 611,000 people get healthy food every year. Our goal is that all hungry people across metro Atlanta and north Georgia will have access to the nutritious meals they need when they need them. It takes the power of our whole community to make that possible. In 2023, the Atlanta Community Food Bank distributed its one billionth meal. J Join us at ACFB.org.

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve almost 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

As Georgia’s largest non-profit health plan, Kaiser Permanente has 317,000 members in 28 counties in metro Atlanta and four counties near Athens.

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