The Charlotte Jewish News - November 2021 - Page 9
FOODiversity, Addressing Food Insecurity in an Overlooked Community, Granted Nonprofit Status By Wendy Gordon Pake Just over one year since Wendy Gordon Pake founded FOODiversity with a designated fund within the Jewish Foundation of Greensboro, the organization that provides access to safe food for individuals with food allergies in food-insecure populations has been granted official nonprofit 501(c)(3) status. The Carolina FOODiversity Fund at Greensboro’s Foundation, operating under the same mission as that of FOODiversity, remains a critical resource for emergency food providers and a multitude of other nonprofits. The Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community (FCJC, an affiliate of FFTC) will list FOODiversity as a 2021 grant recipient in its annual report. When the IRS application was filed in February 2021, eight months had proven to Pake that an independent nonprofit recognition for FOODiversity would be helpful in advancing her work. This organizational milestone escalates FOODiver-
sity’s potential impact,offering a more crystallized approach that includes the boost of direct programming and the support of a board of directors. An immediate priority for FOODiversity revolves around health-care systems. Health-care professionals are presented with unique opportunities to screen patients for food insecurity and, at the same time, note what precipitated emergency room visits or requests for epinephrine refills. Did the patient eat an allergen because that’s the only food they had? Was the allergic reaction due to lack of information about how to manage the condition? FOODiversity equips health-care providers with resources for their patients; in turn, patients are better able to comply with “doctor’s orders” and to preserve their dignity by not having to admit that they didn’t have a choice. Food as medicine is a familiar concept and second nature to many. Yet every day, people struggle to find affordable and
Allergy-friendly food for after-school program at Boys & Girls Club
nutritious food. Add to that the burden of a food allergy or celiac disease and, for many, food is often literally unavailable. FOODiversity is on a mission to lessen the burden of food insecurity for individuals with these
combined challenges. FOODiversity aims to provide access to safe food, which so often is an unmet medical need. In addition to connecting with physicians, social workers, and dieticians, the organization
works with schools and community nonprofits such as food pantries, homeless shelters, and backpack meal programs. With recent studies suggesting that official food allergy diagnoses are 87% lower in the Medicaid population than for those with greater access, lower-income families’ costs are more than double for trips to the emergency room and hospitalizations. Lack of education and the inability to access digital information lead to a higher incidence of allergic reactions; food allergies become even more life-threatening and costly. Having a food allergy or celiac disease significantly increases an individual’s living expenses. For example, gluten-free (free of wheat, barley, and rye) flour, breads and pastas typically cost four times the price of similar gluten-containing products. Dairy-free milk, such as soy, coconut, and oat, is also more (Continued on page 11)
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