The Heinz Endowments Grants $20,000 to Hunger-Free Pennsylvania for “Food as Health Care” Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Heinz Endowments Grants $20,000 to Hunger-Free Pennsylvania for “Food as Health Care” Initiative

Funding will support efforts to integrate nutrition into clinical care and expand “food as medicine” initiatives in southwestern Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 12, 2026) – The Heinz Endowments has awarded a $20,000 grant to Hunger-Free Pennsylvania (HFPA) to support efforts to integrate food and nutrition into health care delivery across southwestern Pennsylvania.

The funding will help HFPA advance work it is doing with a new statewide alliance of health systems, nonprofits, and food system leaders committed to treating food and nutrition as a fundamental part of health care. The Food as Health Care Coalition, whose policy group will be chaired by Hunger-Free Pennsylvania’s Chief Executive Officer Stuart I. Haniff, MHA, is working to make food-based interventions — such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions — a sustainable part of clinical care. The initiative focuses on bridging the gap and connecting health care providers with community-based food systems, improving health outcomes while proactively reducing costs.

“This investment is a monumental step in advancing us beyond a charity-based model and toward a system where food is recognized as a core component of health care,” Haniff said. “We’re building the vital, integrated, and sustainable infrastructure to ensure nutrition plays a central role in preventing and managing disease.”

Through the grant, HFPA will support policy implementation, expand “closed-loop” referral systems between providers and food organizations, and develop data-driven tools to secure long-term public funding for food as medicine programs.

“At The Heinz Endowments, we are committed to advancing solutions that improve health outcomes while strengthening the region’s systems and communities,” said Andrew McElwaine, Senior Adviser in Food Systems at The Heinz Endowments. “The work by Hunger-Free Pennsylvania and coalition partners represents a vital step toward integrating food and nutrition into health care in a way that is sustainable, equitable, and impactful.”

The initiative is expected to improve care delivery, address social determinants of health, and help establish food-based interventions as a permanent feature of Pennsylvania’s health care system.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: Stuart I.R. Haniff, MHA

CEO | Hunger-Free Pennsylvania

(c) 412.290.3045 | (e) shaniff@pafoodbanks.org

www.pafoodbanks.org

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Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, in partnership with 18 food banks serving all 67 counties, represents one of the largest charitable food distribution networks in the commonwealth. HFPA, in collaboration with state and federal governments and other nonprofit organizations, works to ensure food security for all Pennsylvanians. More at: www.pafoodbanks.org.

About The Heinz Endowments

The Heinz Endowments works to grow an exemplary, sustainable Pittsburgh region where everyone prospers and belongs. Our work in Arts & Culture; Civic Participation; Climate, Environment & Health; Community & Economic Development; Food Systems; Veterans; and Workforce is supported by reliable data based on results-focused goals.

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