A new partnership between the Alameda County Community Food Bank and Blue Shield of California aims to change how vulnerable communities approach nutrition, shifting the focus toward food as medicine to help residents manage and prevent chronic health conditions.
The initiative centers on a new $300,000 investment from Blue Shield, which leaders announced during a day of service. The funding represents the first half of a $600,000 commitment by the health plan to expand the initiative to seven other nonprofits across the state.
“We are hoping it helps folks manage chronic conditions,” said Shannon Datcher, vice president and corporate counsel at Blue Shield of California. “So folks with diabetes, cholesterol issues, hypertension—we know that food plays such a big impact on that, so we are hoping that at the end of the day the health outcomes are better for folks.”
The Alameda County Community Food Bank became the first food bank in California to launch the “food-as-medicine” model in 2024. The program provides 12 weeks of home-delivered groceries, including fresh produce and proteins, alongside nutrition education for Medi-Cal members managing chronic illnesses.
Currently, one in four people in Alameda County experience food insecurity, and the food bank serves up to 150 people a week through the program. Executive Director Regi Young expects the new funding to double that capacity.
“A lot of times they do not have the food to manage these types of chronic conditions,” Young said. “There is a subset of that group that are dealing with chronic health issues, and if they do not have access to that product, and it’s not convenient for them to be able to utilize, then they are not going to be able to manage that chronic condition. This program is really pivotal in bridging the gap between food and health.”
Inside the facility, volunteers pack the specialized grocery packages every week, driven by a shared sense of community and purpose.
“We need community, we need to be together; it is the only way we are going to make it through what is now a very difficult time in so many ways,” said volunteer Karen Friedamen. “And so in whatever way I can do and help, it is meaningful to be… Health is very important; if you don’t eat, you’re not going to be healthy.”
The expansion program rolls out in phases starting immediately, with the broader model serving as a blueprint that Blue Shield hopes to scale statewide.
