FARSB Receives $35,551 From Anthem Foundation To Launch ‘Food Is Medicine’ Program

RIVERSIDE, CA (July 20, 2021) – Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) announced today a $35,551 grant from the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., to launch the ‘Food is Medicine’ program. The grant will fund this initiative at the food bank as it partners with Riverside University Health System and IEHP to support health care staff with the implementation of processes to conduct universal food insecurity screenings and interventions.

The ‘Food is Medicine’ program, a Feeding America® initiative funded by the Anthem Foundation, will help connect approximately 1,340 people facing hunger in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to food distribution programs that provide access to healthy food options every month. The program aims to screen between 16,080 patients this year with the goal of improving food security and health outcomes.

“Recent years has shown us the link between hunger and health,” said Stephanie Otero, Chief Executive Officer at FARSB. “The Food is Medicine effort will strengthen our efforts to feed those in need directly in healthcare settings, while collecting data to improve the overall health of our community,” said Otero.

While the IEHP Riverside and San Bernardino effort is already in motion, the new Riverside University Health System effort will officially launch in September 2021 across four sites, including Moreno Valley, Hemet, Perris, and Riverside.

People living in food-insecure households are more likely to experience poor health across their lifespan and are at increased risk for illness and poor chronic disease management.1 The ‘Food is Medicine’ program seeks to ensure patients who screen positive for food insecurity during health care visits have access to resources to help them get the food they need.

FARSB, a member of the Feeding America network, is one of 14 food banks across the nation to receive this funding from the Anthem Foundation.  

To learn more about FARSB visit www.FeedingIE.org.