Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank has been awarded funds as part of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s Healthy Food Access grant program. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation is a fiscal agent for federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services in order to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and to support families in Pennsylvania.
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank received a $200,000 grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to initiate a Food Rx program model that offer healthy food options to pregnant or postpartum individuals in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
“This grant substantially enhances our ability to pursue one of our most important goals—meeting the nutritional needs of children during their peak brain- and body-development years,” said Jay Worrall, Helping Harvest’s President. “We know that the early years are the most important in a child’s development, so being able to focus on meeting those needs in-utero may be the most impactful way we can help them grow and thrive. We are so grateful to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation for their support of this significant intervention in the health outcomes of children.”
“Supporting pregnant people and their families with access to nutritional food is critical to the long-term health of our communities,” said Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. “We are proud to provide funds to Helping Harvest thanks to investments by the federal government and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Several risk factors of maternal mortality, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, rely on a healthy diet; and innovative preventative health services like Helping Harvest’s Food Rx program are a great complement to other federal nutrition assistance programs and will help to ensure low-income pregnant individuals have access to the nutritional food they need to thrive.”
The grant funding will also aid in assisting pregnant and postpartum individuals apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides low-income neighbors with a monthly allotment that can be used to purchase nutritious food at a grocery store or supermarket.
Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank is the leading provider of food to people in need in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, PA. Helping Harvest delivers food to over 350 partners in Berks and Schuylkill County, and last year provided over $16 million in food to 110,000 residents in our community. Helping Harvest is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.
