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Community Servings Receives $350,000 ‘Food is Medicine’ Grant from Rockefeller Foundation

Jamaica Plain nonprofit Community Servings announced a three-year grant of approximately $350,000 from The Rockefeller Foundation to develop a comprehensive case study on the economic and environmental impact of sourcing from small and mid-scale family farms for medically tailored meals.

Photo from Community Servings’ Facebook page

“The Rockefeller Foundation has taken a pioneering approach to looking at the intersection of Food is Medicine and ‘good food sourcing.’ With their generous support, this project will study and evaluate our local foods practices to develop educational tools that will advance the goal of increasing good food sourcing practices among Food is Medicine providers,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. “As the region’s largest medically tailored meals provider and a national leader in the Food is Medicine field, we look forward to sharing our experience and best practices with fellow providers.”

“Community Servings is a leader in innovative sourcing that builds partnerships with farmers to deliver high-quality food to patients,” said Noah Cohen-Cline, Director of the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We’re excited to support Community Servings and other grantee partners connecting Food is Medicine with good food sourcing.”

Last year, Community Servings delivered meals to over 7,400 clients in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Medically tailored meals, a lifesaving intervention for individuals with severe, complex, or chronic health conditions, are nutritious meals approved by a registered dietitian nutritionist that reflect the appropriate, evidence-based dietary therapy. The agency offers 16 medical diets for people with illnesses including cardiac disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and cancer. Recently, Community Servings launched Pregnancy Health and Pediatric Health programs to reduce complications from high-risk pregnancies and support children living with or at risk for diabetes to achieve lifelong health through medically tailored nutrition. Community Servings is an accredited member of the Food is Medicine Coalition.

The project will document Community Servings’ “good food-sourcing” practices for the medically tailored nutrition interventions it provides across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The project is a partnership between Community Servings, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) at Harvard Law School, the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact, and Johnson & Wales University.

“Policymakers are increasingly recognizing the deep ties between food and health care,” said Heather Latino, Clinical Instructor at CHLPI’s Food Law and Policy Clinic. “What food we grow, how it is produced, and where it is grown have spillover effects, including on the health of people, the planet, and local economies. Aware of the broader impacts of its food purchasing decisions, Community Servings has been at the forefront of using high-quality, nutrient-dense foods from local food producers to treat patients with diet-related chronic conditions. We are excited to work with them to support broader systems change and policies that will help maximize the impact of Food is Medicine programs across the country.”

“Community Servings is a national leader in creating strong partnerships with local food producers to improve community members’ access to medically tailored nutrition,” said Christopher Long, Principal Research Scientist at the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact. “We are excited to be part of the team that will help Community Servings convey the incredible benefits of alliances like these so that other organizations across the U.S. can use that knowledge to strengthen their own communities.”

“Johnson & Wales is committed to preparing students for the food system of the future,” said Jason Evans, Founding Dean of the College of Food Innovation & Technology at Johnson & Wales University. “As such, we are pleased to be part of this effort to illuminate best practices for simultaneously addressing nutrition, food access, and food system challenges in our communities.”

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