Access to Healthy and Affordable Food

Goal Statement: Everyone has opportunities to earn a livable wage, reside in safe housing, and access the healthy and affordable food they need to thrive.

“When asked which factors were most important for a healthy community… ‘Access to healthy food’ was noted as important by 41.4 percent of respondents.”
—Gifford CHNA

Access to Healthy and Affordable Food

How is this problem affecting our community?

1 in 10 people living in Grafton and Windsor Counties struggle with food insecurity

Click Here to go to the DATA Dashboard

What are we doing to address this problem in our community?

Collaboration and Service Improvement

Collaboration and Service Improvement

  • Support strategic planning within the Upper Valley Hunger Council to identify opportunities to increase coordination of services and address gaps.
  •  Map food security assets to identify gaps and opportunities.
  • Increase use of Hunger Vital Signs as a screening tool to identify food insecurity in healthcare and social service settings, especially for children.
  • Expand access to meals for children at school and during summer breaks. Partners: HCC, FOMF, School Districts & Multiple Partners.
  • Increase the number of community gardens and gleaning providing fresh produce to people experiencing food insecurity.

Image by storyset on Freepik

Education

Education

  • Support strategic planning within the Upper Valley Hunger Council to identify opportunities to increase education about resources and healthy food options.

Image by pch.vector on Freepik

Advocacy

Advocacy

  • Host Bi-State Legislative Breakfast every two years to engage state policy makers in discussion of local health priorities.
  • Advocate for the expansion of low-barrier meal programs for children at school and during summer breaks.
  • Advocate for Livable Wages.

Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

Equity

Equity\

  • Increase capacity of grassroots and small organizations representing people with lived experience of health inequities to address the concerns of their communities independently through grantmaking and technical assistance.
  • Advocate for Livable Wages.

Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

Key Partner List

  • Upper Valley Hunger Council (UVHC)
  • Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) Food Security Workgroup
  • Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC)
  • Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TROPC)
  • New Hampshire Hunger Solutions
  • Hartford Community Coalition (HCC)
  • Friends of Mascoma Foundation(FOMF)
  • Vital Communities (VC)
  • Willing Hands
  • Public Health Council (PHC)
  • Upper Valley Equity Anti-Racism (UVEAR) Leadership Team
  • Upper Valley Community Health Equity Partnership (UVCHEP) Steering Committee