Bringing Food Home During COVID-19 Medically Tailored Meal Nonprofits Respond to a New Epidemic

Across the country, COVID-19 is prompting government officials to encourage millions of individuals, especially seniors and people with compromised immunity or underlying health conditions, to shelter in place. In the wake of closed businesses, job losses, and school closures, emergency food programs are seeing unprecedented levels of demand. For nonprofit medically tailored meal providers, the situation is no different – except that the people they’re nourishing during this crisis are living with serious illness, often at home and without the ability to cook. They have specific nutrition needs that, when met, help them stay healthy and out of the hospital and the emergency room.

Born during the AIDS pandemic, medically tailored meal providers have a comprehensive and unique understanding of what it means to respond in crisis. This webinar will discuss how these organizations are mobilizing and how you can help.

Hosted by:

• Sarah Downer, Associate Director, Whole Person Care and Senior Clinical Instructor on Law, Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation
• Karen Pearl, President & CEO, God’s Love We Deliver and Chair of the Food Is Medicine Coalition

With Expert Panelists:

• Cathryn Couch, CEO, Ceres Community Project (CA) and Chair of the California Food is Medicine Coalition
• Matt Pieper, Executive Director, Project Open Hand (GA)
• Sara Zisow-McClean, Director of Program Services, Moveable Feast (MD)
• Jean Terranova, Director of Food & Health Policy, Community Servings (MA)
• Alissa Wassung, Director of Policy & Planning, God’s Love We Deliver (NY)

The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI) advocates for legal, regulatory, and policy reforms to improve the health of underserved populations, with a focus on the needs of low-income people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. CHLPI works with consumers, advocates, community-based organizations, health and social services professionals, food providers and producers, government officials, and others to expand access to high-quality healthcare and nutritious, affordable food; to reduce health disparities; to develop community advocacy capacity; and to promote more equitable and effective healthcare and food systems.

The Food Is Medicine Coalition is a volunteer association of medically tailored, home-delivered meal providers across the country convened to provide a complete, evidence-based, medical food and nutrition intervention to critically and chronically ill people in their communities, to advance  public policy that supports access to medically tailored food and nutrition services for people with severe and/or chronic illnesses, to promote research on the efficacy of food and nutrition services on health outcomes and cost of care, and to share best practices in the provision of medically tailored meals and of nutrition education and counseling.

Please register for Bringing Food Home During COVID-19: Medically Tailored Meal Nonprofits Respond to a New Epidemic on Apr 9, 2020 3:00 PM EDT at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7011175938461612299

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.