Food Security: Create and support equitable food systems.
Opportunity Statement
Identify, invest in, and support approaches that improve food security in neighborhoods and communities by improving access to healthy and affordable foods. To create equitable and sustainable food systems, this includes supporting community-led food initiatives that are linked to local food production, distribution, and labor practices.
Key Stats:
- 1 in 6 people are food insecure in San Antonio and surrounding counties.
- 1 in 4 are children, military families, and/or communities of color.
- There is a greater vulnerability to illnesses.
- Food insecure populations experience higher rates of mental health issues and chronic diseases.
- Challenges in managing existing health conditions.
Taking Action:
MHM has raised employee minimum wage and implemented a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy, enabling staff to support local food initiatives. Technology is also provided to uninsured individuals as they manage chronic conditions (i.e. high blood sugar, which is often linked to food insecurity.)
Food Equity and Security Team (FEAST):
In 2023, MHM launched a Food Equity and Security Team (FEAST) comprised of a cross-functional group of team members aimed at researching and proposing action plans for MHM to enact in order to improve food security across its service area.
Task Force Charter: As an organization, MHM believes that food insecurity runs contrary to the value and sanctity of life as created by God and does not represent equitable stewardship of natural resources. Therefore, we are committed to the following:
FEAST Guiding Principles:
- Commit to learning and working together and sharing resources.
- Commit to challenge our own thinking.
- Commit and connect with other departments, organizations, and individuals outside of our task force to complete our work.
- Commit to innovation and pushing ourselves to think creatively beyond what we are currently doing.
Ideas being explored:
- Land for agricultural use
- Next Generation Farmer Pipeline and entreprenaurship
- Internal audit of our procurement and labor practices
- MHM land utilization
- SNAP enrollment and mobile markerts
MHM donates $1.6 Million to strengthen food security
San Antonio, TX (August 7, 2023) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. announced that it is donating $1,600,000 in emergency funding to bolster food security efforts by the seven food banks serving its 74-county service area across Texas. The funding is a response to the increased demand seen by local food banks because of the reduction in SNAP benefits, ongoing food supply issues, and inflation.
Click here to read more about this work.
Matagorda County
When people don’t have access to healthy food, it’s difficult to ask them to practice healthy eating habits. One of our funded partners, Vibrance Health, is using funding from MHM to support increased food security in Matagorda County. Working with area school districts, they brought to life important lessons in agriculture and sustainable food sources that will help that community and its residents thrive.
