FAHC Community Grant Awardees

The Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of older adults by increasing access to nutritious food and high-quality nutrition education. Through the Medically Tailored Meals Training Video Project, CVCOA is creating professional video modules that train nutrition program staff and volunteers in the preparation of medically tailored meals. These resources ensure consistent, sustainable, and accessible education for meal providers across Central Vermont and beyond. The project includes filming and distributing a series of training videos, offering technical support to nutrition sites, and collecting feedback to continuously improve the materials. By strengthening the knowledge and skills of those who prepare meals for older adults, CVCOA is helping communities address food insecurity, promote better health outcomes, and expand the reach of food-as-medicine practices throughout Vermont.

Healthy Roots Collaborative , a program of Feeding Champlain Valley & CVOEO, is dedicated to strengthening local food systems and improving community health by connecting families to fresh, locally grown produce. Through the Northwest Farmacy CSA Expansion and Education Program, Healthy Roots is expanding its successful produce prescription program in partnership with the Northern Tier Center for Health (NOTCH). This initiative will increase the number of community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares available to patients, add a new farm pickup site in Grand Isle County, and host two nutrition education events in collaboration with local farms. By addressing transportation barriers and expanding access to healthy food, the program helps ensure more community members can benefit from fresh, nutritious produce while also providing valuable data on participant health through surveys and clinical metrics. In addition to improving food access, the project strengthens partnerships with area farms, ensuring that investments in health also support the local agricultural economy. With this work, Healthy Roots continues to advance its mission of building a healthier, more resilient community through food and farm connections.

Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS) is committed to improving health and food access for underserved community members. Through the Grateful Hearts Bennington – Medically Tailored Meals Pilot, GBCS is launching an innovative program in partnership with the Dr. G. Richard Dundas Free Clinic and Grateful Hearts Bennington. This pilot will provide medically tailored meals for patients living with diabetes and hypertension, with recipes designed by a licensed nutritionist and meals prescribed directly by medical providers. By integrating nutrition into clinical care, GBCS is working to address food insecurity, support chronic disease management, and improve overall health outcomes. The project includes designing clinic-based workflows for meal prescriptions, developing nutrition-informed recipes, distributing meals to patients, and collecting feedback from both patients and providers. Over the course of the year, GBCS will monitor the impact of the program, refine operations based on community input, and create a sustainability plan to integrate medically tailored meals into local and regional health systems.

Mountain Community Health (MCH) , Food is Health: Expanding Screening, Referral, and Outreach. Through the Food is Health project, Mountain Community Health is integrating standardized food-insecurity screening, referral, follow-up,and patient education into everyday care. With updates to the electronic medical record, staff training, enhanced data tracking, and partnerships with local food access organizations, MCH will connect patients who screen positive to practical supports (e.g., nutrition counseling, community resources). The aim is a sustainable, replicable model for rural clinics, so patients get the nutrition support they need to thrive.

Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) is launching a new project to strengthen the link between health care and healthy, local food. In partnership with Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region, Health Is Wealth Consulting, and Culinary Rehab, VFFC is exploring how Community Health Workers (CHWs) can help Farmacy participants access fresh foods, nutrition education, and the extra support they need to thrive. This pilot will explore how CHWs can bridge the gap between clinics and community food programs, making it easier for patients to connect with local resources that support their health and well being, and help shape a statewide model for integrating CHWs into Food Is Medicine programs across Vermont.

Food Farmacy Expansion Little Rivers Health Care is expanding its Food Farmacy program to strengthen nutrition access for patients facing food insecurity and chronic diet-responsive conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Through this initiative, LRHC is transforming its in-house food shelves into curated “Food as Medicine” resources that integrate clinical care with high-quality, nutrient-dense foods. The expanded Food Farmacy will include improved sourcing systems, patient-centered referral pathways, enhanced nutrition education, and new evaluation tools to track the impact of food access on health outcomes. This work advances LRHC’s commitment to equitable, comprehensive care, and to a future where nutritious food is a core part of healing.