IDAHO FOODBANK WAREHOUSE

Nutritional Services: The Idaho Foodbank develops, implements, and administers a wide array of direct-service programs that benefit the health and well-being of especially vulnerable populations such as families, children, and seniors. Programs in addition to the Mobile Pantry program mentioned above include Backpack, School Pantry, Cooking Matters, Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The Idaho foodbank also collaborates with health care professionals to ensure that these programs promote healthier families and more stable communities. During the most recent school year, The Idaho Foodbank's Backpack program distributed a total of 64,950 backpacks. Statewide, on average 2,000 children received a backpack every Friday throughout the school year. In the same period, 386,907 pounds of food (or the equivalent of 322,423 meals) was distributed to 17,324 households through the School Pantry program. School-based programs directed at children and families provide an impact on the educational performance of children. Moreover, school staff report that the Backpack program has improved relationships and communications with families. Community Initiatives: Recognizing that food is a social determinant of health, The Idaho Foodbank works in collaboration with community coalitions, healthcare organizations, and the general community to address food insecurity and to improve community health. During the fiscal year, the Community Initiatives team participated in twenty regional and local community health coalitions, presented at or attended eighteen conferences and seminars, and hosted two regional partner conferences. These were done to deepen understanding and collaboration regarding the link between hunger and health to audiences including Foodbank partner organizations, healthcare collaborators, university partners, social service providers, and community stakeholders. To increase awareness of and access to critical resources, the Community Initiatives team facilitated the distribution of 357 quarterly resource boxes for referrals to programs and resources that help beyond food. These boxes contained twenty-one unique materials about resources available across the state for housing, education, healthcare, economic well-being, home energy assistance, mental health, supplemental nutrition, and navigating care resources. The Community Initiatives team continued to deepen relationships with key healthcare providers in the state by contributing to regional health improvement plans, engaging in projects to alleviate diabetes in food deserts with St. Luke's, mentoring 20 nursing students on service-based learning projects, partnering with a resident physician to help a three-year long community medicine project come to fruition, and opening a food pantry on St. Alphonsus's main Boise campus. The Idaho Foodbank's Culturally Responsive Food Program provides food assistance that respects the cultural and dietary needs of diverse communities, with a focus on Hispanic, Indigenous, refugee, and other underserved groups with unique dietary needs. By partnering with community leaders and sourcing culturally significant foods, the program aims to improve nutrition and enhance engagement in food assistance programs across the state. The Community Initiatives team utilized translation services to connect non-English speakers to food assistance and direct delivery of food to some of Idaho's most vulnerable populations. The team also communicated bilingually to deliver targeted SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, Open Enrollment, and Idaho LAUNCH social media campaigns. These campaigns were highly effective at reaching both English and Spanish speaking neighbors and reached a combined audience total of over 250,000 Idahoans. The goal of Community Initiatives department is to work to understand community needs through collaboration and relationship-building, and to explore creative solutions to meet those needs to improve community health.