Second Harvest joins Partnership for a Healthier America's Healthy Hunger Relief Initiative

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio has joined the Partnership for a Healthier America's Healthy Hunger Relief initiative to improve the health and well-being of the North Central Ohio region. Second Harvest has received a $70,000 grant from PHA to establish the foundation needed to implement a nutrition ranking system and to support the distribution of nutritionally dense fresh produce. "We have been committed to increasing the nutritional value of our food and integrating a stronger nutritional philosophy into our operations," Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said. "These grant funds will allow us to put these programs in motion internally and throughout our network of partner charities." Second Harvest will work with PHA, the national nonprofit organization fighting for food equity formed in conjunction with former first lady Michelle Obama, to address hunger, malnutrition and chronic disease by increasing the supply of healthier options and decreasing the supply of unhealthy options. Second Harvest and 29 other new Healthy Hunger Relief partners will get support from PHA to implement a comprehensive nutrition ranking system, developed by experts at Healthy Eating Research, over the next two years. PHA also provides technical assistance to help partners understand the nutritional quality of their inventory and make strategic decisions about food categories to improve nutritional quality, enhancing food equity for the communities they serve. PHA's Healthy Hunger Relief initiative works with 28 partners, reaches more than 7 million Americans, and has introduced 115 million pounds of healthy food into the emergency food system, while removing 19 million pounds of low-nutrition food. By welcoming 30 new partners to the program, PHA's Healthy Hunger Relief work will double in reach and span across 18 states, impacting more than 14 million Americans. PHA's Healthy Hunger Relief work is now in 30 percent of all food banks across the country. PHA made a commitment last month to provide 50 million servings of vegetables, fruits, and legumes to food-insecure families by 2025. PHA's work with its Healthy Hunger Relief partners is part of this broader effort to meaningfully shift the food supply available in disadvantaged communities as the organization works to improve food equity across the country. "PHA's Healthy Hunger Relief partners serve as the foundation of our mission to transform the food landscape in pursuit of food equity," PHA President and CEO Nancy Roman said. "Through our work together, we're ensuring that communities and families all across the country have access to healthier, high-quality, culturally relevant and nutritious foods."