One of the food pantry’s recipients hefts a weighty bag of nutritious, fresh groceries delivered to her apartment. Photo/Hector Muniente
Written by Ariel Tsai
As part of a push to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of New Yorkers, New York State Medicaid received approval for its Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver, or 1115 Waiver, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including an investment of $7 billion statewide over a three-year period through March 2027. A multitude of initiatives were made possible through the waiver, including the creation of Social Care Networks to deliver health-related social care services to Medicaid members. These networks were established to connect Medicaid members with unmet health-related social needs to housing, nutrition, transportation, and care management services.
Through funding from the 1115 Waiver, Tzu Chi USA Northeast Region expanded its weekly food pantry, which now provides fresh, healthy groceries to 500 families. Approximately one year ago, Tzu Chi reached out to Baldor Specialty Foods, one of the largest food distributors in the United States’ Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Now, Baldor provides Tzu Chi with a discount on the raw ingredients it buys wholesale to supply the food pantries.
The thing that really inspires me is how many different individuals are collaborating, working together, to make this happen.
Once the food arrives from Baldor, it’s portioned and packaged into individual bags containing a variety of healthy groceries for each of the 500 families who receive food from the pantry. According to Freeman Su, Executive Director of Tzu Chi USA Northeast Region, the government believes that if people eat healthy, they will need to see the doctor less often, meaning that if $1 is invested in food programs, $3 can be saved on the medical side by helping people avoid health complications from lack of access to nutritious food.
Logistical Challenges Overcome With Partners
Tzu Chi has three food pantry sites, and the one that runs out of the Northeast Region office in Flushing, Queens, alone provides 500 grocery packages to families across Queens. So, how is the logistical challenge of getting these 500 packages to their destinations addressed? Tzu Chi has partnered with DoorDash, an on-demand delivery platform that connects customers with local restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers, to get it done.
“Tzu Chi receives referrals, and local drivers pick up the bags, and deliver them directly to clients,” explained Daniel Riff, Head of Government and Nonprofit Operations for DoorDash, Inc. “By partnering with Tzu Chi, together, we’ve been able to get more food to more people, and address food insecurity across the U.S.”
Addressing Food Insecurity With Compassion
Food insecurity at this point in time isn’t just a matter of affordability, although that is certainly a factor. Elkin Rivas, a DoorDash driver, said that part of the equation is that many people also face concerns about leaving their homes due to the current political climate and ongoing government operations.
Yet, according to the National Institute of Health, food insecurity, and in particular, the lack of access to affordable and nutritious food, is associated with an increased risk of diet-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. In order to strengthen preventive care opportunities, the New York State government has chosen, with the implementation of the 1115 Waiver, to address these diet-related diseases at their source: namely, by providing organizations within Social Care Networks with the resources to address food insecurity.
Tzu Chi is committed to providing our community members, especially those who are most vulnerable, with the resources they need to stay healthy and well. We are immensely grateful to serve our community alongside such dedicated partners, nourishing both body and hope with our outreach.
Through your love and care, you can support community care missions such as this, as well as other Tzu Chi USA Northeast Region activities, helping volunteers bring timely assistance that responds to individual and community needs as they arise.
