Goal:
Reduce food insecurity in Montgomery County by creating system-level changes in coordinating and delivering food assistance resources and increasing access to healthy food for our most vulnerable communities.
Action:
In April 2017, IPHI released a Request for Proposals to facilitate community-based approaches to the TCI strategy areas. Primary Care Coalition (PCC) and the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC) were awarded funding to implement innovative approaches to community-based food access.
PCC and a group of community partners implemented “Food is Medicine,” a systems approach to food security screening and referral between safety-net health care clinics and food and nutrition service providers. MCFC funding supported the implementation of the Montgomery County Food Security Plan, including the creation of new training and resources for food assistance organizations, the identification of gaps in services, increased outreach and communication, and the conduct of food security data collection and evaluation.