At The Alliance for Health Equity, we believe that access to healthy, nourishing food is a cornerstone of well-being, and a critical part of building healthier communities. That’s why we’re proud to introduce Food As Medicine (FAM), a new program created to bring food access and wellness into closer alignment for families in the Greater Coatesville Area. Developed through a grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and launched with the support of dedicated local leaders and future health professionals, FAM is more than a program, it’s a movement toward lasting, food-centered healing.

As defined by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “food as medicine is a reaffirmation that food and nutrition play a role in sustaining health, preventing disease, and as a therapy for those with conditions or in situations responsive to change in their diet.”

Food as medicine programs focus on providing food and nutrition materials to support healthy eating patterns, access to affordable foods, and nutrient dense meals. Healthy foods can have a positive change on other aspects of an overall boosted lifestyle through disease management and treatment, improved food security, helping food safety, and promoting wellbeing.

The difference nourishing foods can have on the body is like planting a garden. Planting seeds in quality soil with proper sunlight, and sufficient water allows a plant to grow and thrive. When you do not give the plant the proper sunlight, water, or soil it needs, it leads to poor growth. Higher quality input, like healthy foods, can positively influence your growth and overall health. Nourishing foods can support a longer life, promote thriving body systems, supply support to muscles, improve bone strength, improve immunity, increase brain clarity, and boost mood.

Consider the use of food as medicine not as a strict diet, but as a practice that can promote wellness. Applying this mindset through changes in your personal life can be overwhelming. There are small things that you can do today to focus on a food as medicine approach such as: (1) try consuming fruits and vegetables three times today; (2) select a low-fat food option over a full-fat option; and (3) choose water or milk over a sugar-sweetened beverage. Small changes each day can lead to larger physical and mental shifts overtime. To learn more about food as medicine, please visit Alabama Public Health and American Society for Nutrition, who both provide further general information.

We’re proud to welcome Food As Medicine to the Greater Coatesville Area, led by Jean Marie Carroll, a 14-year Coatesville resident, alongside Briana Villagrana, a proud Coatesville graduate and our Community Health Worker. Together with a passionate dietetic intern from West Chester University, this team will support pregnant individuals and or new families to the program (anyone aged 1 year or older). 

Here’s How it Works:

1. Referral Partner gives FAM Prescription to pregnant individual or new family member
2. Community Health Worker (CHW) contacts and welcomes Participant to the Program.
3. Registered Dietitian meets with Participant (in-person/virtually) for 2 personalized counseling sessions.
4. Participants receive an Instacart food voucher to fulfill personalized food prescription.
5. Food is delivered directly to the Participants.

To ensure this vital program continues to grow and thrive, we need your support. Long-term donations are essential to sustaining the impact of FAM and expanding access to nutritious foods in our community. Please consider making a lasting investment in Coatesville’s health by donating today.