New York Health Foundation

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Region: Hudson Valley

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.  

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.

Rock Steady Farm

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. However, stark disparities persist by race and ethnicity, and communities of color experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity and diet-related disease. The communities most affected by these disparities often have the best solutions to improving food equity. However, systemic barriers often exist, and historically, organizations led by people of color have not had equal access to or benefited from traditional philanthropy funds and resources. In 2024, NYHealth issued an inaugural Request for Proposals (RFP), “Healthy Food, Healthy Lives: Supporting a More Equitable Food System,” to advance racial health equity in the food system. NYHealth awarded Rock Steady Farm (RSF) a grant to participate in this initiative. 

Under this grant, RSF will assist queer, trans, and BIPOC (QTBIPOC)-led farms to procure fresh produce and products throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley. New farmers often lack the infrastructure to pursue purchasing contracts from large public institutions or wholesale orders. To address this challenge, RSF will leverage its logistical and transportation infrastructure; high demand for its produce in the New York City area; and community-based relationships to support QTBIPOC-led farms. It will also coordinate with food hub cooperative Brooklyn Packers and the Northeast Farmers of Color Network, a network of queer, trans, and BIPOC farmers and stakeholders, to provide support to other farms interested in reaching the New York City market with their products. RSF will also supplement its weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with produce and products from small farms, and it will strengthen its partnerships with project collaborators to coordinate in-person and virtual convenings with key farmers, distribution partners, and service providers.  

See a full list of grantees working to advance racial health equity in the food system. 

 

 

Columbia County Sanctuary Movement

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. However, stark disparities persist by race and ethnicity, and communities of color experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity and diet-related disease. The communities most affected by these disparities often have the best solutions to improving food equity. However, systemic barriers often exist, and historically, organizations led by people of color have not had equal access to or benefited from traditional philanthropy funds and resources. In 2024, NYHealth issued an inaugural Request for Proposals (RFP), “Healthy Food, Healthy Lives: Supporting a More Equitable Food System,” to advance racial health equity in the food system. NYHealth awarded Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) a grant to participate in this initiative. 

Under this grant, CCSM will expand and formalize its Comida Para La Gente (CPLG) food justice program to enhance the health and nourishment of immigrant communities in upstate New York. It will develop contracts and procurement processes with local farms to enable them to plan crops; guarantee income ahead of production season; and provide more culturally relevant, locally-sourced produce in CPLG’s weekly meals. CCSM will work to connect farms with local schools, hospitals, and larger institutions. CCSM will also establish a Food Justice Advisory Committee, comprising stakeholders with expertise and lived experience, to help community members develop long term partnerships and ensure that each farm’s crop planning, meal planning, and contract negotiations align with community needs.  

 

See a full list of grantees working to advance racial health equity in the food system. 

 

 

Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration

New York State is home to nearly 600,000 military veterans and welcomes an additional 4,000 each year who are transitioning from active duty into civilian life.

For new veterans, the transition from military service to civilian life can be an extra challenge, as they may also face relocation and a perceived loss of purpose. Despite challenges, veterans often do not ask for help until a crisis and may be reluctant to speak with someone they believe would not understand their circumstances; they can feel more comfortable opening up to a fellow veteran. That dynamic makes peer-to-peer programs an effective approach; peers are equipped to offer practical skills and information, as well as shared experience, social connection, and hope. In New York State, the most widespread peer mentor program for veterans is the State’s flagship Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program; it reduces isolation, increases social connectivity, and connects veterans with community-based resources. In 2022, the State roughly tripled the overall program budget and paved the way for the program to expand statewide. In 2024, NYHealth awarded the Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration (CVR) a grant to maximize the impact of the State’s investment, expand high-quality veterans’ peer-to-peer services, and formalize a statewide peer mentor coalition to spread best practices and educate policymakers about ways to sustain and spread effective programs. NYHealth is also supporting a complementary initiative with Clear Path for Veterans.

Under this grant, CVR will formalize its “New York State Dwyer Coalition”, comprising more than 100 peer mentor programs, providers, and other stakeholders. It will host coalition meetings to identify regional goals and define a shared advocacy agenda; leverage federal, State, and local funding opportunities; educate members about best practices for communicating with policymakers; and share tools and resources for peer mentors. CVR will partner with Clear Path to raise awareness about evaluation findings and technical assistance opportunities. It will also create an online directory for local Dwyer Program providers to access centralized information. CVR will develop a shared policy agenda and action plan based on input from members, veteran service organizations, and Clear Path’s evaluation. It will also partner with Clear Path to educate policymakers about ways to strengthen the program through future policy and regulatory changes.  

Open Door Family Medical Center, Inc.

Primary care is often a patient’s first and most regular point of contact with the health care system.

High-quality primary care provides ongoing, relationship-based care that meets the health needs and preferences of individuals, families, and communities, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It is a rare “win-win” in health care that improves individual and community health, enhances health equity, and saves money. Despite the benefits, too little is invested in primary care and too many New Yorkers, especially New Yorkers of color, have difficulty getting care when and where they need it. NYHealth issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), “Primary Care: Expanding Access and Advancing Racial Health Equity,” to test replicable models to improve the accessibility, quality, and equity of primary care in regions across the State. NYHealth awarded Open Door Family Medical Center a grant to participate in this initiative. 

Under this grant, Open Door will conduct a feasibility study to open a federally qualified health center (FQHC) location to expand access to primary care in Delaware County, a rural shortage area. It will partner with existing social and health service providers and a community advisory group to identify sites suitable for an FQHC and forecast costs associated with site renovation and initial clinic operation. Open Door will engage Delaware County residents to understand their care needs, barriers to health care access, and acceptance of non-physician-led care teams, in light of health professional shortages in the region. To address these workforce shortages, Open Door and partners will investigate the feasibility of a nurse-led care model, in which nurse practitioners serve as the lead primary care providers. Open Door will also cultivate partnerships with training programs for nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical assistants to provide tailored education on rural, community-based primary care and create pipelines into the FQHC setting. 

See a full list of grantees working to expand access to and advance racial health equity in primary care across New York State. 

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