Capital Area Food Bank

Food for brighter futures:food alone won't solve hunger. To address the root causes of food insecurity and inequity in the region, the food bank is piloting innovative approaches for pairing food with other critical services, such as health care and education. By expanding beyond cafb's traditional food provider network, the food bank can meet people where they are and provide them with food to help address their most pressing concerns. The food bank also operates innovative food access programs to create more ways in which neighbors with transportation or other constraints can get the food they need.- food is medicine (also known as food plus health): these initiatives integrate food into health care settings to promote disease prevention and management, resulting in healthier outcomes at every stage of life. Cafb partners with medical institutions across the region to provide patients facing food insecurity with medically tailored groceries either during their clinic visits or via home delivery. - food for upward mobility (also known as food plus education and food plus workforce): through its programs focused on creating greater economic opportunity for those it serves, cafb bundles food and other support services for college students to help improve academic outcomes and long-term financial stability. Cafb partners with institutions of higher education throughout the region to provide food insecure students with nutrition via multiple models, including home delivery, on-campus pantries, and free meal-swipe programs.- food access initiatives: this area of cafb's work develops and implements commercial-like food distribution models to extend the cafb's reach to those experiencing food insecurity. For example, clients in areas with very few grocery stores also are seeking options for purchasing nutritious food. To respond to this need, cafb operates curbside groceries. These mobile grocery trucks, operating in dc's ward 8 and maryland's prince george's county, offer a new kind of neighborhood retail option, where people can buy produce, protein, and other grocery staples at affordable prices.

Thought leadership and community engagement:a. Food insecurity research: the cafb regularly partners with research institutions to gather and publish data and information about food insecurity and other issues related to its work. This information is used by the food bank to guide its organizational strategy and programmatic services, and by other regional organizations to inform planning and policy.b. Client leadership council: to amplify the voices of the people it serves, cafb convenes a client leadership council (clc) each year. A cohort of individuals who live in the food bank's service area and who are experiencing food insecurity receive advocacy training through the clc. This 10-month training program supports their growth as advocates for themselves and their communities.c. Policy analysis: the food bank's policy team stays apprised of local, state, and national policy issues that have the potential to impact the individuals served by the food bank, and makes recommendations on policy positions based on what will ultimately improve the lives of the food bank's clients.

Nutrition education:in addition to food distributions, cafb also operates a variety of nutrition education and urban agriculture programs. - cooking and nutrition classes: to support the people it serves with improving or maintaining their health and well-being, the cafb's team of registered dietitians regularly hold nutrition education classes for its partners and community members. Cafb also develops and distributes nutrition resources, including cards, in multiple languages with culturally relevant recipes for healthy, low-cost meals that use ingredients commonly provided by the food bank. - urban garden: the food bank's half-acre urban demonstration garden offers an outdoor "learning laboratory" where school children and community members can learn how to grow good, nutritious food with just a small piece of land. Located at the food bank's northeast dc facility, the space features raised beds and fruit trees, and is home to an outdoor teaching kitchen where cafb holds classes on nutrition, cooking, and gardening.