Montgomery County’s Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR) and the Office of Grants Management (OGM) have awarded $750,000 in funding to six partnerships that increase access to medically relevant, nutritious and locally produced food for Montgomery County families with children birth-18 who are at high risk of or are experiencing diet-related disease and food insecurity. The partnerships include local pediatric primary care providers, school-based health centers, food assistance programs, nutrition educators and local farms. The Food as Medicine Grant Program was launched in FY24 as one of several initiatives recommended in the County’s Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger. The first program cycle funded five partners that supported nearly 500 total households, screened 1,796 children for food insecurity and connected participant families with over 93,000 pounds of food, 98% of which was locally sourced. 

Food and health are deeply connected, and too many families don’t have access to the kinds of food that support long-term health,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This grant program helps make sure that families who are struggling are not left behind. It builds stronger connections between doctors, schools, food providers and farms—and it does it in a way that respects cultural needs and community voices. We’re going to keep investing in partnerships like this because they work, and because they move us closer to a healthier County.”

The funded partnerships are expected to serve an estimated 700 households at 12 pediatric health care sites throughout the year-long grant period. Collaborating partners are:  

Adventist HealthCare, Inc.

• Mary's Center, Mercy Clinic and the Muslim Community Center Clinic, Manna Food Center, One Acre Farm, Giant Food, Manna Food Center. 

AfriThrive, Inc. 

• The School-Based Health and Wellness Centers at Harmony Hills Elementary School, Viers Mill Elementary School and Kennedy High School, Manna Food Center, Capital Area Food Bank. 

Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research Inc. 

• The School-Based Health and Wellness Centers at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School, Rolling Terrace Elementary School and JoAnn Leleck Elementary School, Community FarmShare, Hungry Harvest and Crossroads Farmers Market. 

 Holy Cross Health Center, Gaithersburg 

• Community FarmShare. 

Mid-County United Ministries, Inc. 

• The School-Based Health and Wellness Center at Wheaton High School, Manna Food Center, the Hub at Hughes United Methodist Church, Community FarmShare, Sligo Creek Farms LLC, Holy Cross Health. 

Vietnamese American Services, Inc. 

• The School-Based Health and Wellness Center at Weller Road Elementary School, Community FarmShare, Community Engagement and Consultation Group. 

With new funding and expanded partnerships in this latest program round, grantees will have more support to strengthen Food as Medicine efforts.