Reaching 1.1M Through SNAP-Ed, Training, Partnerships and Research to Address Food Insecurity

In 2021, PHI’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition (CWN) collaborated with 303 partners in 39 states across the nation. Their efforts included working with 116 farmers markets and retailers to improve access to fresh food, and collaborating with 32 community based organizations to reach people facing conditions that put them at risk for poor health outcomes.

CWN also provides effective training and educational programs for individuals, families, and communities, using innovative and tailored approaches and integrating cultural competency and health equity into every program, resource, and material. In 2021 CWN conducted 36 trainings, reaching 1,420 individuals across 39 states.

In South Carolina and Georgia, they worked with partners of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed Program) on healthy beverage social media, advertising, and community event campaigns aimed at educating residents about healthy drink options and shifting consumption away from soda and towards healthier, more affordable beverages. In Georgia, 89% of participants said they intended to drink more water and 72% said they would likely choose beverages that have less sugar.

With support from the California Department of Social Services, CWN and the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center partnered with an advisory council of 11 community stakeholders affiliated with tribes from across California. Through this partnership, they helped ensure that Native American perspectives and cultural practices and traditions were, and will continue to be, included in CalFresh Healthy Living nutrition education and community engagement resources.

Also, working with the Abbot Fund’s Future Well Communities program, CWN and its partners Community Medical Centers and Emergency Food Bank-Stockton/San Joaquin launched a Healthy Food Rx program that provides six months of “Food as Medicine” boxes to more than 450 people in the Stockton, California area.

CWN Research and Evaluation staff are leaders in the field of public health evaluation, meeting diverse project needs through technical skills and deep understanding of community-based projects. In 2021, their second Southeast Region SNAP-Ed evaluation report highlighted over 1,300 SNAP-Ed PSE changes reaching 1.1 million people and reducing food insecurity by 15% through the #LetsfeedLA Food Voucher Program.

Learn more about CWN’s work.