New York Health Foundation

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Funding Area: Healthy Food, Healthy Lives

Newburgh Urban Food and Farm, Inc.

Food systems planning is a collaborative process among farmers, retailers, consumers, nonprofits, health systems, and government to develop priorities and implement policies and practices that shape how local or regional food systems operate. Benefits of food planning include improving food procurement at public institutions, supporting local retail food businesses, and strengthening outreach and enrollment in benefits programs. NYHealth is supporting eight food planning groups in New York State that are developing tailored food system plans. With a 2021 NYHealth grant, Newburgh Urban Farm and Food, Inc. (NUFFI) conducted the first in-depth study of Newburgh’s food system, which included 72 community meetings and events and surveys with 600 local leaders and residents. In 2024, NYHealth awarded NUFFI a grant to operationalize its plan to make healthy, local food more available to Newburgh residents.  

Under this grant, NUFFI will enhance the city’s emergency food system by reducing overlap and gaps in food availability, building capacity among providers, supporting language access, and facilitating a workgroup of food pantry managers. NUFFI will develop and publish a map of food resources and assets for residents, including food retail locations that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), emergency food schedules and contact information, farmers market programs and schedules, culturally relevant food access points, and food and nutrition education materials. NUFFI will also increase market opportunities for local growers through capacity building, formalize the structure for its task force and working groups, and implement additional programs to increase access to healthy, affordable, local foods.  

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (fiscal sponsor: Syracuse Grows)

Food systems planning is a collaborative process among farmers, retailers, consumers, nonprofits, health systems, and government to develop priorities and implement policies and practices that shape how local or regional food systems operate. Benefits of food planning include improving food procurement at public institutions, supporting local retail food businesses, and strengthening outreach and enrollment in benefits programs. NYHealth is supporting eight food planning groups in New York State that are developing tailored food system plans. With a 2023 NYHealth grant, the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) created a five-year strategic plan to define the next chapter of its work. In 2024, NYHealth awarded SOFSA a grant to operationalize its strategic plan to make healthy, local food more available in Syracuse, surrounding Onondaga County and Onondaga Nation. 

Under this grant, SOFSA will improve transportation to food access points regionally; expand farm-to-institution purchasing; collaborate on efforts to increase lead testing and develop multilingual testing resources for home gardeners; support community-identified solutions to food access issues with mini-grants; and pursue an advocacy and civic engagement strategy.  

The Bodega and Small Business Group (fiscal sponsor: The Institute for Family Health)

Low-income communities of color across New York City are less likely to have access to full-service grocery stores that offer high-quality, affordable food. Residents of these communities often rely on bodegas or small corner stores; there are an estimated 8,000 bodegas across New York City. Studies have shown that individuals shopping at these stores are more likely to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, and candy. At the same time, research shows that when more fresh produce is available at these stores, consumers purchase more fruits and vegetables and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages. While there have been efforts to improve healthy food options at bodegas in the past, more work must be done to address the structural issues that make it difficult for small businesses to supply them. In 2024, NYHealth awarded The Bodega and Small Business Group (BSBG, formerly the Bodega Association) a grant to test replicable models to profitably source and deliver fresh, healthy, affordable foods to bodegas in the Bronx. 

Under this grant, BSBG will engage with nine Bronx-based bodegas on a pilot project to conduct real-world testing of a scalable business model to provide healthy and affordable food options. BSBG will conduct market research with distributors, store owners, and customers to understand their needs and preferences for supplying and purchasing healthy foods; examine consumer preferences and store profitability for different products, product sizes, packaging options, and price points; study different delivery methods; and analyze data to develop a business model for a bodega purchasing collective. 

Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty

An estimated 2.3 million Jewish and Muslim Americans live in New York State. Approximately 35% of Jewish Americans keep kosher or prefer consuming kosher food, and 83% of Muslim Americans keep halal or prefer consuming halal food. Data suggest a significant number of these New Yorkers are at risk of food insecurity. One-third of all Muslim American families live near or below the poverty line, and more than a quarter of Jewish Americans have trouble paying for essential bills, including medical care, housing, and food. In 2022, NYHealth awarded Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) a grant to build a coalition of emergency food providers and other stakeholders to make the case for a State policy agenda that supports a culturally responsive and equitable emergency food system. In 2024, NYHealth awarded Met Council a grant formalize a statewide coalition to advocate for and implement policies that improve access to healthy food for food-insecure New Yorkers with religious dietary needs, including kosher and halal needs. 

Under this grant, Met Council will advocate for and implement recommendations developed from its statewide survey to improve access to healthy kosher and halal foods. It will form a coalition of food pantry providers and other stakeholders across the State to share best practices; build a framework for setting and advocating for policy priorities; and develop and implement a policy agenda to improve kosher and halal procurement, purchasing, and distribution.  

Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center

SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program. More than 1.7 million New York City residents enrolled in this program; food insecurity and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in demand for SNAP. NYHealth made a grant to the Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center (SNP-UJC) in 2023 to maximize SNAP enrollment for eligible New Yorkers. In 2024, NYHealth awarded SNP-UJC a grant to continue to improve the timely processing of SNAP applications for eligible and food-insecure New Yorkers.

Under this grant, SNP-UJC will continue its advocacy work and raise the voices and needs of SNAP program participants. It will work to secure the progress it achieved under the first phase of work, monitor improvements, and address remaining barriers that prevent timely enrollment to help hungry New Yorkers.

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming

New York State’s Hudson Valley region is home to thousands of farms that produce millions of pounds of food annually. And yet, many Hudson Valley and nearby New York City residents struggle with food insecurity and lack access to nutrient-dense, fresh food. The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model is one way to create access to healthy foods supplied by local farms, but it has historically been out of reach for SNAP recipients. In 2024, NYHealth awarded the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming a grant to provide support across a network of farms in the Hudson Valley to expand a replicable CSA program for SNAP customers.

Under this grant, Glynwood will promote outreach, scaling, and replication of the CSA is a SNAP program throughout the region and State. The program provides SNAP customers with a 1:1 matching benefit, allows them to make weekly payments, and ensures farmers receive the full cost of CSA shares for SNAP customers. It will also allow SNAP customers in the Hudson Valley and New York City to have easier access to fresh, locally grown food, and small-scale farms in the region will have new markets that improve their economic viability.

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