With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Food Trust leads The Center for Healthy Food Access, a national collaborative effort working to ensure that every child in the United States has access to nutritious, affordable food. Serving as a catalyst to share learning and test groundbreaking ideas, the Center is focusing on the following efforts:

• Strengthening federal nutrition programs, including SNAP, WIC and SNAP-Ed.
• Improving the food and water quality in schools.
• Creating jobs and economic development by bringing grocery stores and other healthy food businesses to underserved areas.
• Working with hospitals and healthcare systems to prevent diet-related disease in low-income communities.
• Partnering with businesses to focus marketing efforts on healthier choices.
• Expanding SNAP-incentive programs that provide support to make healthier food more affordable for those on food stamps.
• Promoting the Healthy Food Access Portal so organizations and businesses can share successes with one another.
• Providing $1 million in grants to 60 organizations across the country. 

If you would like to stay up-to-date on the latest news about policy developments, funding opportunities, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) and more, sign up for the Center's quarterly newsletter, The Healthy Food Access Times. 

The Center for Healthy Food Access has worked with partners across the country over the past 18 months to increase access to and build demand for healthy food. In addition to building a community of practice for this work, a number of resources have been developed to inform the field. 

Resources produced by the Center include:

• The webinar "A Regional Comprehensive Approach to Food Access: Featuring The FARE Project, a Cleveland Case Study"
• The Healthy Food Access Portal's Policy Network and Research Spotlight
• Webinars produced by the Portal, including "Opportunities in the 2018 Farm Bill" and "Tour the New Healthy Food Access Portal"
• The National SNAP-Ed Strategy Group, which convenes SNAP-Ed implementing agencies, the grocery industry, public health professionals and experts from across the country

The Center has also supported the following funded partner pieces:

In partnership with additional groups across the country, The Food Trust has achieved further goals related to the Center for Healthy Food Access:

• Partner with Food Research & Action Center and Hunger-Free Colorado on The SNAP Gap: Understanding Low Rates of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation in Denver
• Partner with Food Research & Action Center and the Houston Food Bank on The SNAP Gap: Understanding Low Rates of Participation for Houston
• Founding member of CDFA’s Food System Finance Advisory Committee
• Co-Chair of the National Safe Routes to Healthy Food Task Force

Over the past year, we also have seen significant growth in the development of state and local healthy food financing initiatives, including:

• Kansas Healthy Food Initiative
• Alabama Healthy Food Financing program
• Massachusetts Food Trust Program
• Michigan Healthy Food Financing state allocation
• Mid South Healthy Food Initiative

Through the Center, The Food Trust has partnered with a variety of local, state and national partners, ranging from grassroots nonprofits to business leaders and research universities. 

For more information about the Center, contact Brian Lang at . 

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatrics (New Jersey Chapter), American Heart Association, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, Capital Impact Partners, Center Pole, Fair Food Network, Feeding America, Finance Fund, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Fort Peck Tribes Health Promotion / Disease Prevention Wellness Program, Georgia Organics, Hope Credit Union, Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), Lankenau Medical Center, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), National WIC Association, Partnership for a Healthier America, PolicyLink, Reinvestment Fund, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity (University of Connecticut), Rural Grocery Initiative (Kansas State University), Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Saint Luke's Foundation, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Tulane Prevention Research Center, Urban School Food Alliance, Voices for Healthy Kids (VFHK), Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, Wholesome Wave