New York Health Foundation

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Region: Finger Lakes

Adirondack Food Systems Network (fiscal sponsor: AdkAction.org, 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.

It can result in improvements, such as changes in food procurement at public institutions, revisions to urban gardening codes, and increased access to local food. NYHealth is currently supporting six food planning groups that are implementing tailored food systems plans across New York State. In 2023, NYHealth awarded the Adirondack Food Systems Network (AFSN) a grant to support the implementation of local food systems plans to make healthy, local food more available. In 2025, NYHealth awarded ASFN a grant to continue implementing key provisions of its original food systems plan and create a statewide food systems plan to provide a roadmap for more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food access in New York State. 

Under this grant, AFSN will create a statewide coalition of food planning groups, to share best practices, provide technical assistance and peer support, and build trust and collaboration. AFSN will cultivate deeper relationships with State agencies to align shared policy advocacy efforts. AFSN will develop a statewide food system plan to increase food access, strengthen coordination, and support local food economies, and improve public health outcomes. The plan will include recommendations for using existing assets, such as emergency food programs, nutrition programs, institutional procurement, and infrastructure for farmers and food hubs. 

NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with the Rochester Food Policy Council. 

Rochester Food Policy Council (fiscal sponsor: Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, dba Common Ground Health)

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.

It can result in improvements, such as changes in food procurement at public institutions, revisions to urban gardening codes, and increased access to local food. These improvements have a positive impact on food security and health. In 2023, NYHealth awarded Rochester Food Policy Council (ROC) a grant to support the implementation of local food systems plans to make healthy, local food more available. In 2025, NYHealth awarded ROC a grant to continue implementing key provisions of its original plan and create a statewide food systems plan to provide a roadmap for more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food access in New York State. 

Under this grant, the ROC will work with State and local stakeholders to improve the healthy food retail environment and identify feasible policy mechanisms. ROC will partner with the City Council to support adoption of the Rochester Community Food Systems Plan, and advocate for recommendations on institutional procurement, healthy food access, and urban agriculture. ROC will also address barriers to urban agriculture, and connect local production with food pantries and emergency food programs. Findings and lessons will be shared with stakeholders to inform broader efforts and improve community food systems in Rochester. 

NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with the Adirondack Food Systems Network. 

Foodlink Inc.

Older adults living in poverty struggle to access healthy food and often must choose between basic needs like food, medication, and housing.

Mobility limitations and disabilities can make it difficult for them to shop for groceries and prepare meals. Reliable, nutritious meals are needed to support their overall health, manage chronic diseases, and maintain quality of life. The federally funded Congregate Meal Program enables local agencies serving older adults to provide daily meals at community sites, such as senior centers and churches. These meals can alleviate financial strain, foster social connections, and create opportunities to access other services. In 2025, NYHealth awarded Foodlink Inc. a grant to provide older adults in Monroe County with free, freshly cooked, nutritious, and culturally-appropriate meals year-round. 

Under this grant, Foodlink will work with the county and meal sites to assess participant needs and capacity. Foodlink will gather feedback from staff and participants to improve meal quality and service delivery and use tracking systems to optimize routes and ensure timely daily meal service. It will collaborate with local agencies and nonprofits to increase older adult participation, and promote freshly prepared meals. Foodlink will evaluate the program using its data systems and share findings to inform recommendations for other food banks and community kitchens. 

Wayne County Action Program, Inc. dba Finger Lakes Community Action

More than 16% of children in the U.S. have one or more physical, cognitive, or communication developmental delays or disabilities.

Supportive early intervention services can mitigate or reverse negative outcomes if they are provided in the first three years of a child’s life. While free early intervention services are available to all eligible children with disabilities, only 24% of children, ages 0 to 5, in New York State are evaluated and referred to services. Screening disparities are even more pronounced in rural communities where there is limited access to providers, long travel distances, lack of public transportation, and inadequate referral systems. In Wayne County, where 21% of children under the age of six live in poverty, these barriers are significant. Wayne County Action Program (WCAP) and its partner network have stepped up to address these barriers in the Finger Lakes by bringing the Get Ready to GROW initiative to the region, which delivers comprehensive developmental screenings and follow-up appointments for children ages 12-60 months. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the Wayne County Action Program, Inc. dba Finger Lakes Community Action a grant to expand a comprehensive early intervention screening, navigation, and referral program. 

Under this grant, WCAP will ensure young children across rural Wayne County schools receive essential developmental and health screenings and are connected to care and support services. With co-funding, WCAP will partner with a comprehensive network to expand the Get Ready to GROW program, providing screenings in schools, Head Start locations, and childcare centers, serving a total of 1,500 children. It will build an integrated referral network of early intervention services to reduce delays in care for families and coordinate with primary care and social service providers. WCAP will provide technical assistance to other school districts, and share its model through trainings and presentations at state and regional conferences. 

Nonprofit Support Group (fiscal sponsor: Grantmakers Forum of New York, dba New York Funders Alliance Initiatives Fund)

Federal executive orders and budget cuts are prompting policy changes, confusion, and uncertainty in New York’s health and social service nonprofit landscape.

New York’s more than 3,400 health nonprofits—including NYHealth grantees—are feeling the direct and indirect impacts of these changes in the form of budget cuts, communications requirements, rollbacks in protections for the communities they serve, and the contraction of the federal government’s role in public health. These shifts change how organizations operate, forcing them to navigate an uncertain policy and funding environment and a weakened safety net infrastructure. More than ever, nonprofits struggle to assess risk, forecast financial plans, communicate, adhere to their missions, and support staff and communities to navigate fear and uncertainty. They have been compelled to divert limited resources from serving clients to adopting contingency plans, implementing new compliance and safety measures, and intensifying advocacy efforts to protect their organizations, staff, and communities from discrimination and barriers to care. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the Nonprofit Support Group a grant to deliver free, timely technical assistance and capacity-building support to NYHealth grantees to strengthen their ability to respond and adapt to new, evolving, and unforeseen circumstances.

Under this grant, NSG’s IMPACT HQ program will offer resources to Western, Central New York, and Finger Lakes grantees, focusing on leadership development, fundraising, and advocacy. Grantees will have ongoing access to virtual trainings, resource directories and tools, and periodic in-person convenings where organizations can learn from each other and build relationships.

NYHealth also awarded complementary grants to the New York City Capacity Building Collaborative and Nonprofit Finance Fund.

 

Delphi Rise

There is an enduring mental health crisis among youth and young adults in New York State and across the country.

One in five young people had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Between 2021 and 2023, there were small improvements in the number of young people who felt persistently sad or hopeless, but disparities persist for young people of color and LGBTQ youth. Nearly two-thirds of teens who experience mental health challenges don’t seek help; those who do seek help face barriers. Throughout New York, families are on waitlists for weeks, months, or longer because of inadequate coverage and reimbursement rates, high out-of-pocket costs, and insufficient provider networks. Close to 40 of New York’s 62 counties are fully designated as mental health shortage areas. In 2024, NYHealth awarded Delphi Rise a grant to launch a culturally-tailored Youth Mental Health First Aid initiative to support young people of color in Wayne County and neighboring rural counties. NYHealth is also supporting complementary initiatives with the New York State YMCA Foundation and the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. 

Under this grant, Delphi Rise will collaborate with the Wayne County Partnership—a regional consortium of more than 48 government agencies, community-based organizations, and school districts—to expand Youth Mental Health First Aid. Delphi Rise will recruit trusted community members of color and members of other marginalized groups; those credible messengers will in turn train 150 additional community members to become mental health first aiders. Delphi Rise will also partner with school districts and community organizations to refine and implement the training curriculum; disseminate key findings; and share best practices. 

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