Together: Second Harvest, SNAP-Ed, & Our Agency Partners
Second Harvest is happy to work with over 250 partner agencies who work hard to serve their unique corners of the community. Since 2017, Second Harvest has received grant funding from the US Department of Agriculture as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed).
SNAP-Ed is a program geared towards teaching people using or eligible for SNAP (formerly food stamps) benefits about nutrition, particularly making their food dollars stretch to fit a tight budget. Food pantries and meal programs are uniquely positioned to improve the well-being of the people they serve.
With this grant, Second Harvest is able to provide support to our partner agencies in promoting health and making the healthy food choice the easy choice. We can offer assistance with resources for healthy nudges, hosting cooking classes, food demonstrations, recipes, and more. Program staff and partners work together to develop a customized plan based on each partner’s focus and needs.
Second Harvest believes that no one should go hungry. According to facts on Hunger in America gathered by Feeding America, many households served by the Feeding America network of food banks include people coping with a chronic disease that is impacted by the foods they eat. Of the people visiting food banks in our country, it has been shown that many face or are at risk for developing a chronic disease, such as diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, and heart disease. Second Harvest is proud to support our network of partner agencies with resource and tools to increase access to healthy foods.
How can we collaborate?
Second Harvest SNAP-Ed staff are available for advice and technical support for all partners. We focus on using tools that are trauma-informed and take a client-centered approach to healthy food banking. We work closely with partners to create plans that include nutrition education and help promote healthy choices. These support plans often look different for every partner program – we want to work with you and help you make changes that you feel confident about taking on and that will work for the populations you serve.
Check out the links below for these healthy food banking topics:
Client Choice & Shopping Models - Look at ways to use a client choice model in your organization
Healthy Nudges – Subtle environment changes in a food distribution setting, designed to make a healthy choice the easy choice
Printables & Signage - Colorful MyPlate & Food Group Signage to promote healthy foods
Recipes – Recipes tested that highlight common healthy food items given out in food banks and food pantries
Highlighted Partner SNAP-Ed Project – Check out what other Second Harvest partner food banks are up to with a highlighted SNAP-Ed Project