The link between food and health is clear. Nutritious food is medicine, helping to prevent and manage disease. But too much food, too little food, food that is not nutritious, or food that is not culturally appropriate can have serious health consequences. 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.
Our overarching goal is to connect New Yorkers with the food they need to thrive. To achieve this goal, we focus on four strategies: (1) support healthy, more equitable food systems planning and capacity-building; (2) maximize nutrition benefit programs; (3) support healthier, culturally responsive food purchasing in public institutions; and (4) promote Food Is Medicine interventions.
Connecting New Yorkers with the Food They Need to Thrive
Healthy food systems planning and capacity-building: Projects will empower communities to design, coordinate, and implement food plans. Regional food planning efforts will make healthy, local food more affordable and accessible. Projects in this area include:
Nutrition benefit programs: Projects make it easier for people to enroll in and use nutrition benefit programs. Projects in this area include the expansion of:
A Fair Food Pricing Program in the North Country that provides discounted farm food packages—including produce, milk, eggs, and meat—that can be purchased using SNAP dollars.
A locally sourced cooperative that allows customers in the City of Geneva to use their SNAP benefits to purchase boxes of farm-fresh produce, dairy, and meats.
Healthier, culturally responsive food purchasing in public institutions: Schools, Head Start programs, senior centers, homeless shelters, and other public institutions will use their purchasing power to provide healthier meals to millions of New Yorkers, while also creating additional opportunities for smaller farmers and suppliers, particularly people of color, to compete for institutional contracts. Projects in this area include:
Advocacy for implementation of the Good Food Purchasing Program in New York City and statewide to transform the way public agencies purchase food for healthier meals.
Food Is Medicine: Health care providers and payers will connect patients in need with healthy food, through medically tailored meals and healthy food prescription programs. Projects in this area include:
A home-delivered fruit and vegetable prescription program for families with young children.
As Administrative Assistant, Blandine Etienne is responsible for supporting NYHealth’s team of program officers. Her duties include coordinating travel arrangements; assisting with meeting and event planning; tracking expenses and submitting expense reports; and providing general administrative assistance.
Prior to joining NYHealth, Blandine has used her customer service and administrative skills in the telecommunications, allied health, and publishing industries.
Blandine has an Associate’s degree in Biology from Kingsborough Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Cornell University.
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Learn more about food systems planning in New York.
