Special to IFN
FOODiversity has received a $1,500 grant from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to support its Food Delivery Program.
According to Wendy Gordon Pake, executive director and founder of FOODiversity, the funds have been used to successfully enroll three Charlotte Metro households into the Food Delivery Program for three to six months.
FOODiversity, a Mooresville-based nonprofit, is on a mission to reduce the burden for those who are food-insecure and struggling to obtain nutritious, safe foods from grocery stores and food pantries, due to their diagnosis of food allergies, celiac disease, or food intolerances.
Pake shared about the need for the Food Delivery Program, which provides monthly credits for households experiencing the dual burden of food insecurity and dietary restrictions to purchase allergen-friendly and gluten-free foods for their family.
“Families participating in the Food Delivery Program are finding relief, the dignity of choice, and hope,” she said.
The enrolled households report significant barriers to obtaining allergen-friendly and gluten-free foods, including the high cost and the additional time commitment required to ensure meals are safe. Tasks such as reading labels during shopping, visiting multiple stores, and preparing special meals can add up to 15 extra hours of work each week compared to households without dietary restrictions, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
These households also shared about the unique challenges encountered when trying to obtain allergen-friendly and gluten-free foods from charitable food providers, including food pantries, food banks, and soup kitchens. Many food pantries struggle to support patrons with dietary restrictions due to constraints in funding, inventory, staffing, and the high cost of allergen-friendly and gluten-free products. Thus, Food is Medicine grocery programs, such as FOODiversity’s Food Delivery Program, are critical in filling this often-overlooked gap.
Amplifying the benefits of personalized food access, FOODiversity’s Food Delivery Program also helps to build skills related to label reading and nutrition through our educational tools and resources. Food pantries, healthcare providers, and school nurses are the most frequent referrers, and the program has reached patients in 16 states.
During their time in the Food Delivery Program, these three households experienced outcomes such as increased healthy food access, confidence in managing their dietary restriction, and variety of foods consumed. They also indicated improved health, reduced stress, and program satisfaction. These successes have long-term implications for condition management, health, and self-efficacy that extends beyond the enrollment period of the Food Delivery Program.
FOODiversity expressed its gratitude to the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for supporting the Food Delivery Program.
In both rural and urban settings, the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund supports hundreds of important organizations and programs in the communities where they operate with funding, time, expertise and resources. Weyerhaeuser made its first charitable donation in 1903 and has provided more than $270 million in grants through its formal giving program, which was established in 1948.
About FOODiversity
Founded in 2020, FOODiversity is headquartered in Mooresville and serves clients across the U.S. The 501(c) (3) nonprofit was established to lessen the burden of food insecurity for individuals and families with food allergy, celiac disease, or other food intolerances. The FOODiversity mission is to prevent hunger, medical emergencies, and hospitalizations by raising awareness, providing educational support, and increasing access.