Food as Medicine

Food security is health security. We build a culture of wellness by pairing access to nutritious food with skills to use it, so families can thrive today and reduce chronic disease tomorrow.

Our Food as Medicine program pairs healthy food with coaching so families can use nutrition to manage diabetes, hypertension, and weight. Clients receive produce boxes, pantry referrals, and simple, budget-friendly recipes integrated into their care plans.

What if offers

Produce prescriptions and pantry partnerships coordinated with clinicians.
Cooking demos and skills-building that meet people where they are.
Linkages to community gardens and the Food Distribution Hub.
Pathways to Food Farmacy and Healthy Chef for ongoing support.

What we deliver

Food Distribution Hub: Moves healthy food quickly to neighbors, clinics, and community sites, in partnership with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia & the Eastern Shore and local growers. In recent program years over 80,000 pounds of healthy food reached residents citywide.
Garden 2 Table teaches youth and families to grow and use fresh produce. With Warren Farms and Virginia Cooperative Extension, our Community Education & Production Garden supplies food for HUB clients and Plant-a-Row while families learn hands-on skills.
Growing together: With support from Warren Farms and Virginia Cooperative Extension, our community gardens provide fresh produce for local families. In the first season, the gardens yielded nearly two thousand pounds of harvest, which was distributed to families and through the Plant-a-Row program.

Why it matters

Food insecurity rose nationally to 13.5% in 2022, the largest one-year increase since 2008, and remains elevated
In Virginia, roughly 1 in 8 residents face food insecurity, with stark racial disparities
Evidence shows “Food-as-Medicine” approaches, like produce prescriptions and medically supportive meals, can improve diet quality, reduce food insecurity, and support cardiometabolic outcomes
When families can grow and prepare healthy food, nutrition becomes affordable, available, and culturally meaningful foundations for better long-term health