NEW YORK, NY — Eat well, live well. It’s simple advice — if you can afford to follow it. But for the more than 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger, nutritious food isn’t a lifestyle choice. It’s out of reach.
And health pays the price: blood pressure climbs, diet-related diseases go unmanaged, and more families end up in the emergency room.
That’s the problem Food Bank For New York City is built to solve. Because when the right food is on the table, health can be, too.
When the Right Food is on the Table
In 2023, Food Bank For NYC was awarded the Food as Medicine 3.0 grant — a Feeding America initiative funded by the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation — to connect patients experiencing food insecurity through NYC Health + Hospitals facilities including Woodhull Hospital, Kings County Hospital, and Bellevue Hospital to local food resources.
Over three years, the program has reached more than 2,100 New Yorkers. It’s not a one-time handout — it’s sustained, month-over-month access to medically supportive food our neighbors need to manage their health and stay well.
Behind every referral is a New Yorker trying to manage their health, care for their family, and keep moving forward. For New Yorkers like James, the difference has meant fewer impossible choices, and a better chance at staying healthy.
“Before joining the Food as Medicine program, I struggled to manage my blood pressure due to food insecurity,” said James Taylor, who joined the program through Maranatha SDA Church. “But thanks to the medically tailored food bags, I’ve been able to stabilize it. I’m grateful for this support — and I’m feeling healthier.”
ER Visits, Cut Nearly in Half
The data tells the same story. Participants reported an average of 47% fewer emergency room visits compared to the baseline period. Fewer crises. Better disease management. More stability for families already carrying enough.
The FAM3 program was built around what New Yorkers actually need — not just calories, but culturally relevant, nutritious foods — because dignity, choice, and flexibility matter, too.
In the most recent program year, Food Bank For NYC’s Member Services team took the lead — managing referrals internally and overseeing operations from end to end.
“My favorite part of leading the Food as Medicine project has been the opportunity to help shape and grow a program that is making a real difference in people’s lives,” said Trina Brown, Member Services Project Manager at Food Bank For NYC. “Seeing the project evolve — knowing that the work I lead contributes to improving health and increasing access to nutritious food — has been incredibly rewarding.”
This is the Work
This is the work: unglamorous, essential, and deeply human. Program managers like Trina, community health workers, faith-based partners like Maranatha SDA Church all pulling together so that a New Yorker can keep their blood pressure down and stay out of the emergency room.
Food is medicine. And in New York City, we’re making sure it gets to the people who need it most so families can focus on living, not surviving.
