Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and Local Community-Based Organizations Team Up to Fight Hunger and Food Waste in Northern and Southern California

August 01, 2024

Local food resiliency grants help expand local sustainable food recovery programs throughout the Bay Area and in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, connecting those who have good food with those who need it.

Anthem Blue Cross Foundation is pleased to announce recent grants to three esteemed organizations in California: Food Forward, White Pony Express, and ExtraFood. These grants aim to significantly bolster the fight against hunger and food waste throughout the region. Each organization has been granted funds to support their individual local initiatives to reduce food waste and fight food hunger.

 

Dr. David Pryor, Medical Director of Anthem Blue Cross in California, added, “We are thrilled to be working with and supporting like-minded community partners to reduce food waste and improve access and availability of nutrient-rich foods in these communities. We believe that food is medicine and increasing access to nutritious foods is key to improving the overall health and well-being of individuals and families."

 

The local partnerships include the following:

 

• In the East Bay, White Pony Express will use a $175,000 grant to expand their sustainable Food Rescue Program. The program is designed to rescue surplus food from grocers, retailers, farmers' markets, and wholesalers and then deliver it to those in need throughout Contra Costa County. Eve Birge, CEO, White Pony Express, expressed her gratitude for the grant: “Through this partnership with the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, we are helping to break the cycle of institutionalized inequity by providing nutritious, fresh food."

• In the San Francisco Bay Area, ExtraFood will employ a $90,000 grant to bolster their sustainable food rescue program. The program aims to rescue excess and unused food from numerous sources and redistribute it to people facing food insecurity in Marin, San Francisco, and Sonoma counties. ExtraFood Executive Director, Will Dittmar, enthusiastically acknowledged, "With Anthem Blue Cross Foundation's support, we can expand our reach and impact, ensuring that more nutritious food reaches people who need it most."

• In Southern California, Food Forward will enhance their local produce recovery program with a $90,000 grant. The program rescues fresh surplus produce and connects this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Nkemdilim Nwosu, Director of Communications at Food Forward, said, “Since 2009, Food Forward has been committed to Building Generational Health. This grant serves as a bridge to address the nutritional and health gap that affects underserved communities."

For people experiencing food insecurity, access to wholesome and nutritious food is essential. Food insecurity, which affects more than 33 million people in the United States, increases the risk for diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In California, one in five households are food insecure. At the same time, 35% of the food produced in the United States is unsold or uneaten each year, amounting to an annual loss of $408 billion to the economy. The availability of fresh fruits and vegetables through food recovery programs can promote a healthier environment, greater economic resilience, and more equitable communities.

 

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