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Health-Focused Activities at Food Distribution Sites

Health care organizations seeking to reach individuals in the community have found success offering health screening, education and other health promotion and disease prevention messages to clients in the food bank or partner agency setting. By working with health partners, food banks can address some of the key health issues that individuals served by the network face.

Health Issues Matter to Food Banks

47%

of households responded that they are in fair or poor health

55%

of households served report some medical debt

66%

of households have to choose between medicine and food

58%

of households have at least one member with hypertension

33%

of households have at least one member with diabetes

Examples Activities Include:

  • Screenings to target key health priorities such as hypertension or diabetes. These can be conducted by health care partners’ staff; volunteers; or local medical students, nursing students, pharmacy students, or others
  • Nutrition and health education programming, bringing hospital and clinic nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and students to support good health and chronic disease prevention and management
  • Offering vaccinations such as flu, pneumonia, or tetanus shots to protect vulnerable individuals from disease
  • Health insurance application assistance