$65,304 Community Betterment Grant Will Help Fund Community Food Project
The Betterment Grant will improve the lives of people across Iowa by enabling the Iowa Community HUB to expand the Community Food Project. The $65,304 grant will allow the Iowa Community HUB (HUB) to address food and nutrition insecurity and reduce the burden of chronic disease among low-income residents of Iowa. Through this project, the HUB, in partnership with Capital City Fruit, will provide free, monthly home delivery of fresh produce packs to low-income, at-risk, and underserved community members who are participating in community-based health programs offered by partner organizations in neighborhoods where they live, learn, work, and play. The project runs through August 2025.
“The HUB collaborates with community partners to address chronic disease and health-related social needs by ensuring individuals of all ages, abilities, and incomes have access to local resources and programs, with an equitable opportunity to live a healthy life,” said Trina Radske-Suchan, President and CEO of the Iowa Community HUB. Trina explains, “Local health care providers who want to connect their patients with resources to address social needs and/or to enroll in health programs send a referral to the HUB. Currently, over 325 health care providers make referrals to the HUB, and the HUB also accepts self-referrals, or referrals from non-medical partners. Upon receipt of referral, a HUB Navigator contacts the patient, screens for social determinants of health using a standardized tool, provides resource connections, and helps them overcome barriers to accessing services or participating in programs. Where appropriate, the HUB Navigator also enrolls the client in community-based health program(s) that are offered by partner organizations in their community. For this project, the HUB, in partnership with Capital City Fruit, will provide free, monthly home delivery of fresh produce packs to low-resource residents who are identified as being food and/or nutrition insecure and enroll in a community-based health program offered by a trusted organization in their community.”
Through start-up funding from Farm Credit Services of America and United Way of Central Iowa, the HUB was able to plan and pilot this Community Food Project beginning in the Spring of 2024, providing participants with a 12-pound box of fresh produce delivered to their home each month while they participated in their chosen health program. In 3 months, we served 116 participants. Funding from Prairie Meadows will allow us to greatly expand the reach of this program to address food and nutrition insecurity among Iowans across the State.
“As a nonprofit organization, Prairie Meadows fulfills its purpose by giving back to organizations that support arts and culture, education, economic development, and human services. We are excited to see the impact the Community Food Project will have on our central Iowa community,” said Julie Stewart, Prairie Meadows Vice President of Community Relations.
Visit prairiemeadows.com/community and https://iacommunityhub.org/about/ to learn more about
these organizations and the causes they support.
“Thanks again for heading up such a great Better Choices, Better Health educational program! I learned a lot about the self-management skills for my chronic conditions which are Heart Disease, Osteoarthritis, and Pre-Diabetes. You were able to share in layman’s terms many of the facts about all of the chronic health conditions that so many of us suffer with daily. Many common-sense things that at 76 years old, I had never had explained to me at my physician visits. You really stressed the importance of exercise (moving), eating healthy, and good sleep. The weekly action plans really motivated us and held us accountable. It was important that each week we were encouraged to report back to the whole group about how we did with the action plans. You taught us better skills to communicate with our health care providers, and also our families and friends. You taught us the importance of taking charge of our own health and being good advocates for ourselves throughout the healthcare system. Your offer to be available in the future for questions and support is so meaningful & reassuring! My box of produce was delivered to my house this morning from Capital City Fruit in Norwalk, IA. It is wonderful!! Packed in a grocery store style cooler bag with an ice pack on top of and underneath the produce. Items were still cool & very nice quality. Amazing! What a nice treat. It included 5 mini cukes, a container of hummus, mini carrots, 2 avocados, a container of grape tomatoes, 3 apples, 3 oranges, and a small package of walnuts. Sweet!”
