Hannaford Supermarkets and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation donated $300,000 to the Food Pantries for the Capital District to support its healthy meal delivery program.
The donation is part of a more than $1.5 million commitment from Hannaford to support healthy meal programs in New York and New England through its new “Eat Well, Be Well – A Path to Better Health” initiative. The program highlights the importance of nutritious food in achieving long-term wellness for food insecure individuals with a history of chronic illness.
“At Hannaford, we have long believed that healthy, fresh food is a critical ingredient to ensuring the vitality of our communities,” said Hannaford Charitable Foundation Board Chairman Peter Forester, who also serves as senior vice president of merchandising for the grocery retailer. “Healthy meal programs break down the barriers that many individuals face in regularly accessing the wholesome, nutritious meals that their bodies and minds need. We look forward to seeing these programs grow and become an integral part of person-centered care in the years to come.”
The $300,000 donation to The Food Pantries for the Capital District will support the enrollment of numerous individuals with chronic health issues into the non-profit organization’s healthy meal delivery program, which provides and delivers prepared meals to homebound individuals who cannot produce meals themselves and their families.
Traditionally focused on medically-tailored grocery packages, which required program participants to cook and prepare meals on their own, the program has evolved to include fully-prepared meals.
Over the course of six months beginning in mid-September, participants will receive three meals daily for their entire household. Participants, who are referred by health care providers or insurers and meet food insecurity guidelines, also receive nutrition education. The program serves households in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Saratoga counties.
“Hannaford has long been a generous and reliable partner to The Food Pantries for the Capital District. This investment in our ‘Food As Medicine’ program is transformational, taking our relationship to a new level,” said The Food Pantries for the Capital District Executive Director Natasha Pernicka. “
Hannaford Supermarkets Vice President of Retail Operations Andrea Nickerson (left) presents a $300,000 donation to The Food Pantries for the Capital District Executive Director Natasha Pernicka (right) during a press conference to announce the funding at The Altamont Program at the Schuyler Inn in Menands on Thursday, Sept. 8.