Federation of Virginia Food Banks: Food and Health Equity

FOOD AND HEALTH EQUITY IN VIRGINIA

Food. Health. For All. Food is a basic necessity, a physiological need that must be met for survival.

Food is also a signpost that indicates belonging to community, family, religion and culture. For most Virginia families, food says, “You matter. You are here.

You are one of us.” It communicates abundance, love, security, and nourishment beyond the physical.

Inequitable Access to Food and Health What does a lack of nutritious, familiar food say to a child, an elder, whole communities struggling to thrive in poverty?

For far too many Virginians, the message is clear:

“You aren’t included. You aren’t important. Your life, your health, your family don’t matter.”

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Consider that in Virginia, especially rural Virginia, there are pockets of extreme poverty with long-standing inequities shaping people’s health and livelihoods, created by generational neglect, exploitation of resources and abandonment.1 There is a fundamental misalignment of resources needed to address food insecurity across geography and race, resulting in stark health inequities. Healthy food is fundamental to prevent diet-related disease, and the right foods at the right time can be an important element of treatment.

The Injustice of Place, by Kathryn J. Edin, H. Luke Shaefer, Timothy J. Nelson

Food and Health Equity in Virginia

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THE PROBLEM

Unveiling the Hidden Crisis: Food Insecurity’s Impact on Health

700,000 food-insecure Virginians

Food insecurity increases the risk of developing chronic disease:

Adults facing food insecurity are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from diabetes than foodsecure individuals.2

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is estimated to be 6 times higher in households with very low food security compared to food-secure households.3

Food insecurity is associated with a 257% higher risk of anxiety and a 253% higher risk of depression.4

$1,539 On average, food-insecure individuals spend $1,539 more on healthcare per year in Virginia.5

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Food and Nutrition Insecurity and Diabetes: Understanding the Connection web page; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Gregory & Coleman-Jensen, 2017

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Fang, Thompson & Nagya, 2021

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Feeding America

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Seligman et al., 2015; Seligman et al., 2018, Public Health Institute

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The Federation of Virginia Food Banks

A SOLUTION

The Federation of Virginia Food Banks is stepping up to provide a statewide collaborative approach to a healthier Virginia.

7

food banks

14

warehouse facilities

125M

meals served annually

Through the Federation, our seven member food banks have committed to improving the equitable distribution, availability, nutritional profile and cultural suitability of the food offered to Virginians facing food insecurity in a concerted effort to combat diet-related disease.

1,100 pantry partners

Food pharmacies deliver improved fruit and vegetable intake, food security status, disease self-management, and better health outcomes like HbA1c.6

Food and Health Equity in Virginia

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Virginia has significant inequities in food access attributable to both geographic location and racial distribution. For example, the Southwest region has 30% higher food insecurity than the state median. Racial disparities are evidenced in higher rates of food insecurity among Black and Latino households.

Disparities by Race Compared to white Virginians…

3.4X

Black households in Virginia are 3.4 times as likely to experience food insecurity7

2.4X

Hispanic households in Virginia are 2.4 times as likely to experience food insecurity7

Above Average FI Rate 38% Very High Chronic Disease

33% 27% 22%

TEFAP Pantry

16% Non-TEFAP Pantry 11%

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Data from Map the Meal Gap Data specific to Virginia, 2021 data

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Site study commissioned by Federation of Virginia Food Banks, delivered May 8, 2023, by Phillip Reese

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The Federation of Virginia Food Banks

Rural Virginia Higher Rates of Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease Lower Distribution of Pantry Resources

Statewide Map of Food Insecurity and Very High Chronic Disease8

Food and Health Equity in Virginia

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The Federation’s reach, trusted network and infrastructure make it uniquely positioned to identify and address resource gaps.

Improved Nutrition and Healthier Food will Improve Health Outcomes Food banks and healthcare providers know improved nutrition and healthier food will improve health outcomes, but good nutrition is expensive for the individual, for food banks and for the pantries.

We know that poor nutrition is costly as well. Food insecure individuals are twice as likely to suffer from chronic disease than food secure individuals. On average, food insecure individuals spend $1,539 more on health care per year in Virginia.9 That’s why food banks are working together like never before to deliver solutions, partnering with health providers, industry leaders, community funders and government to improve health equity in the Commonwealth.

Different solutions are needed in different communities, so we are designing programs and solutions around true neighbor needs to increase the effectiveness and dignity of nutrition access solutions within our approach to health equity.

The Federation’s reach, trusted network and infrastructure make it uniquely positioned to identify and address resource gaps. The Federation can scale to achieve efficiencies in delivering healthy food to Virginians either experiencing or at risk of developing diet-related disease. That will drive down the cost of chronic disease management and reduce the number of Virginians suffering from treatable and preventable diet-related disease.

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Feeding America

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The Federation of Virginia Food Banks

Pursuing Evidence-Backed Interventions to Bring This Vision to Reality 9 Receiving referrals from healthcare partners so people are connected to food early in their food insecurity journey 9 Offering food onsite at healthcare clinics to reduce barriers to food access 9 Collaborating to close the gap between health and social care—one solution and point of contact for all of Virginia 9 Increasing enrollment in SNAP program through funding outreach specialists 9 Facilitating peer learning groups for community-based nutrition improvement

9 Collaborating with our network of pantry partners to expand nutrition and healthfocused interventions through the Healthy Pantry Initiative 9 Enhancing our capabilities to advocate for and implement policy change, such as long-term funding for a Medicaid 1115 Demonstration waiver to sustain our efforts 9 Improving the sophistication of our data collection and analysis to better track statewide impact and close the loop on healthcare referrals

9 Working across the Commonwealth to reduce geographic, logistical and other barriers to improving health equity through nutritious food

Food and Health Equity in Virginia

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The Federation of Virginia Food Banks is poised and ready. Virginians need your support.

Invest in a Healthier, More Equitable Virginia This is not a small endeavor, and it will take a concerted effort to bring all of Virginia’s communities into an equitable state of health and good nutrition.

F E D E R AT I O N F U N D I N G N E E D S

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Staff: Health Equity Working Group, Referral Coordinators, Agency Relations

$1.8 million

Healthy Pantry Network

$1.2 million

Food Pharmacy expansion

$1.1 million

Capacity Building: Data Systems, Learning Management, Marketing, Consulting

$1.5 million

Total

$5.6 million

The Federation of Virginia Food Banks

Healthy Pantry Initiatives Food at food pantries is already healthy, scoring 20 points higher on the Healthy Eating Index than the standard American Diet. But, sustaining this level of healthy food is more expensive than ever, and food donations are at their lowest point on record. Virginia food pantries have a desire to implement these practices but need support to do so. Healthy Pantry practices include: 9 Providing culturally familiar foods 9 Offering more fresh fruits and vegetables 9 Promoting choice in the food selection process 9 Delivering nutrition education for neighbors 9 Featuring foods that are lower in sodium and added sugars 9 Many other elements that encourage our neighbors to select and prepare nourishing foods for themselves and their families

Boundless Collaboration Philanthropy has the power to move this project faster, further and forever. It is the spark Virginians need now.

We cannot wait for operational dollars or governmental policies to catch up. We have solutions that work;

now we need help from partners like you to bring this vision to life.

1415 Rhoadmiller Street Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 549-5675 vafoodbanks.org