SEATTLE, Mar 10, 2025 — Food banks and pantries across Washington alleviate more than just hunger. They also support the nutritional and health needs of state residents who rely on food assistance. Often these individuals are more likely to be managing chronic health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, according to a report by Feeding America.
 
The intersection between food insecurity and poorer health outcomes is the driving force behind the collaboration between the American Heart Association, devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, and charitable food organizations to develop nutrition policies that guide the procurement and distribution of fresh, nutritious and culturally relevant foods. 
 
Recently the Association and the Washington Food Coalition, in partnership with More Than Food Consulting, evaluated the impact of these policies and found that they were instrumental in increasing the supply of nutritious foods. The evaluation gathered feedback from a sample of over 60 charitable food organizations and key stakeholders in Washington through surveys, interviews and focus groups. Among the findings:
  • Agencies with nutrition policies are more intentional and direct in communications and relationships with donors. They shared their policy or donation lists with individual donors who then donated healthier foods. 
  • These agencies were significantly more likely to collect feedback from customers about food preferences and also more likely to report an increase in the availability of fruits and vegetables and customer-preferred foods. 
  • Agencies with nutrition policies felt more confident in being able to define and discuss healthy foods.
 
“Food pantries are instrumental in helping food insecure Washingtonians manage their health,” said Elena O’Callahan, RDN, Community Impact Director, American Heart Association Washington. “The findings from this evaluation reinforce the need for food banks, retailers, donors, and even government agencies to help pantries supply healthy and preferred items to clients.” 
 
As an example, New Day Ministry, a Bremerton-based non-profit, established a nutrition policy to increase their distribution of nutritious foods, especially fruits and vegetables, within their community. The American Heart Association provided technical support for policy development and supported the purchase of a commercial freezer to increase their capacity to store and distribute frozen produce. Since implementing their policy in March 2024, New Day Ministry has increased their offerings of fruit and vegetables by more than 40%.          
 
In another example, the Agape Service Project Food Bank’s nutrition policy helped increase access to culturally relevant foods for migrant families in rural Whatcom County. Migrant families were facing transportation barriers to access food, so Agape worked with a local farmer to provide 800 plant starts so families could grow their own culturally relevant produce. Agape also adopted a new intake system that allowed farm workers to pre-order their produce and reduce time spent in line during food pickup. Director Kelsey Harrington shared that, “one of the largest impacts of the nutrition policy is being able to easily share the 'why' and 'how' behind the 'what' of our work. This has helped us be more intentional in our work.”
 
In Eastern Washington, Restoration Community Impact implemented a nutrition policy in October 2022 that continues to support the health and well-being of the "92% BIPOC" clientele they serve in their Tri-Cities community. Their policy prioritizes the purchasing of healthy, culturally familiar foods offered through their Restoration Market and delivered via DoorDash to 500-700 families every month. In addition, the policy also avoids items detrimental to heart health, such as sugar-sweetened beverages. More recently as an evolution of its continued collaboration with the American Heart Association, the Association facilitated the repair of two broken freezers and will be supporting the addition of a produce fridge, freezer and scale. With these changes, Restoration Community Impact estimates they will be able to increase the volume of fresh produce they serve by 25-30%.
       
“In addition to demonstrating that nutrition policies are useful tools in improving the availability of nutritious foods, this evaluation made clear that additional resources are needed to support charitable food organizations, such as technical assistance, support to expand capacity to store fresh produce, and nutrition education,” added O’Callahan. “Food agencies cannot do this work alone but with support from the community, they can have a significant impact on the food system.” 
 
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. In Washington, visit heart.org/Washington, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X.
 
For Media Inquiries: 
Valerie Koch, Valerie.koch@heart.org
Francesca Minas, Francesca.minas@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)