Hunger to Health
Making the healthy choice the easy choice while taking into account the health of our communities.
Hunger to Health
The Idaho Foodbank’s Hunger to Health Strategy (H2H) is focused on the well-being of individuals, along with the health of communities across our state through access to nutritious food and other resources required for good health.
By eating a well-balanced diet, we are able to maintain the energy we need to get through the day and absorb the nutrients our bodies require to help us stay strong and healthy.
Three initiatives makeup our H2H Strategy: Nutrition, Education and Healthy Communities. Through nutrition education and the distribution of predominantly nutrient-rich foods (85%), our goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice while also taking into account the health of our communities.
Nutrition = Wellness
People facing hunger are making difficult choices on how to make ends meet – paying for rent, getting the medicine they need, putting gas in the car – and have the food they need. We believe in not just providing food but nutritious food that helps people back on their feet and to the place where they can thrive.
Good Food for Good Health
For several years, The Idaho Foodbank has been focused on obtaining more fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution. Greater support from Idaho’s agricultural community and an increase in the number of grocery stores participating in our Food Rescue program has pushed the percentage of donated food considered nutritious to over 80%.
Now, we are working in collaboration with healthcare partners to make it easier for Idahoans who are food insecure and have health issues to get the food they need to promote better health.
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be some of the most expensive items in your grocery cart. This collaborative allows the hunger challenged to have access to this very important food group while stretching their food budget dollar.
Lynn Dill, Food Sourcing Manager, The Idaho Foodbank
Illuminating Intersections: Hunger and Health
Individuals who are food insecure are at higher risk of developing a chronic disease. Many of Idaho’s most common chronic diseases are diet-related including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The right diet can reduce a person’s risk of getting these diseases. Or, if a person has already been diagnosed, help manage it effectively.
Stable access to nutritious food can help the people we serve before the medical bills start stacking up.
Karen Vauk, President And Ceo, The Idaho Foodbank
Partnering For a Healthier Community
Community Health Screenings
The Idaho Foodbank is now working in collaboration with healthcare partners to make it easier for Idahoans who are food insecure and have health issues to get the food they need to promote better health.
In July of 2016 the Idaho Medical Association, with sponsorship by the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, and support from the Idaho Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics passed a resolution that recognizes hunger as a social determinant of health. The resolution also acknowledges The Idaho Foodbank as an important healthcare partner. Since this resolution was passed, healthcare professionals across Idaho have been encouraged to include hunger-related questions in patient screenings and offer the pantry referrals to those who need food assistance. This is an important step towards a healthier Idaho.
Thank You To The Following Organizations
Ada County Central Health District
AMEN
Blue Cross
Boy and Girls Club of Magic Valley
Genesis Community Health
Idaho Medical Association
Idaho State University
Share Our Strength Cooking Matters
Women Infants and Children’s (WIC)
Southwest Health District
St. Al’s
St. Luke’s
Regence