At the intersection of HUNGER & HEALTH
Ending Hunger Together
The Great Plains Food Bank has a deep rooted commitment to nutrition. We believe that every person deserves access to food that meets their medical, cultural and diverse nutritional needs. And for individuals facing hunger, lack of access to the right food at the right time can mean new or exacerbated health conditions, chronic stress, higher medical costs and coping strategies that create a cycle of poor health.
By focusing on distributing healthier foods, filling gaps in underserved communities and working in new ways with untraditional partners, we’re building opportunities for our neighbors to thrive through a number of different healthcare interventions.
How Our Process Works:
We work with medical professionals that conduct social needs screenings to help determine who is likely facing food insecurity. One of three different healthcare interventions are then implemented for those screening positive for food insecurity; SNAP Rx, Wellness Pantry, Clinic Food Bags.
What is SNAP Rx?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is the cornerstone of our nation’s nutrition assistance safety net. When a patient screens positively for food insecurity, they are referred to our SNAP outreach team, who help the individual with the SNAP application along with public assistance benefits like Medicaid and other community-based resources.
What is a Wellness Pantry?
Housed inside a clinic and stocked with fresh dairy, fruits, vegetables, healthy shelf-stable items, lean meats and, in some cases, diapers or personal hygiene items, the wellness pantry program offers patients screening positively for food insecurity immediate food assistance. Patients can expect to return home with 20-30 pounds of food, resources for other local services and a connection to our SNAP outreach team.
74%
of food insecure individuals report living with at least one chronic disease.
Information compiled from comprehensive Hunger in North Dakota 2018 study and Great Plains Food Bank annual review of statistics.
