Point32Health commits more than $1.5 million as part of White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthier Communities

March 20, 2024

CANTON, MA – Point32Health was among 141 organizations spotlighted during the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities event held on February 27 and hosted by Second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff.  During the event organizations from across the country, including health systems, nonprofit groups, philanthropic initiatives, and local governments were recognized for making “bold commitments to advance the president’s goal to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030—all while reducing disparities.”

To meet this commitment, Point32Health and Point32Health Foundation pledged more than $1.5 million in grants to community organizations addressing food insecurity and expanded the company’s matching gift and volunteer time off programs. Nonprofit organizations working on this issue are expected to receive an additional $200,000 in new donations from employee and Foundation matching gifts as well as increased volunteer support that is projected to be valued at $25,000.

“To help eliminate disparities and advance health equity, we must continue to collectively address the social determinants of health, including access to affordable, healthy food,” said Cain Hayes, president and CEO of Point32Health. “As a community of care, we are focused on supporting this nationwide effort to end hunger and build healthier communities for everyone.”

The White House announced $1.7 billion in new commitments. These are in addition to $8 billion in commitments announced in September 2022 at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

“Point32Health Foundation learns from local and regional experts who are leading change and promoting solutions preferred by community,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of Point32Health Foundation and vice president for corporate citizenship at Point32Health. “The nonprofits we support are working to make nutritious food accessible and affordable today while advocating to improve food systems across the region for tomorrow.”

To support community organizations and fulfill the White House commitment, Point32Health Foundation made grants to:

Connecticut

• City Seed, Inc. | New Haven, Conn.
•  Connecticut Foodshare, Inc. | Statewide, Conn.
• Council Of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc. | Bridgeport, Conn.
•  Green Village Initiative| Bridgeport, Conn.
• Haven’s Harvest Inc. | New Haven, Conn.
•  New Britain ROOTS, Inc | New Britain, Conn.
• Wholesome Wave Inc. | Bridgeport, Conn.

Maine

•  Alan Day Community Garden | Norway, Maine
•  Cumberland County Food Security Council | Portland, Maine
•  Eastern Woodlands Rematriation | Wabanaki Territory, Maine
•  Full Plates Full Potential | Portland, Maine
• Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, Maine
• Healthy Acadia | Ellsworth, Maine
• Somali Bantu Community Association | Lewiston, Maine

Massachusetts

• About Fresh | Boston, Mass.
• Boston Area Gleaners Inc. | Acton, Mass.
• Boston Public Library Fund Inc. | Boston, Mass.
• Coastal Foodshed | New Bedford, Mass.
• Community Harvest Project, Inc. | North Grafton, Mass.
• Community Servings, Inc. | Statewide, Mass.
• Digger Foods, Inc | Brockton, Mass.
• Gardening the Community | Springfield, Mass.
• Growing Places Garden Project, Inc. | Leominster, Mass.
• Harvard University Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation | Statewide, Mass.
• MA Food System Collaborative | Statewide, Mass.
• Mill City Grows Inc | Lowell, Mass.
• Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger | Statewide, Mass.
• Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts | Springfield, Mass.
• The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Inc. | Hatfield, Mass.
• The Greater Boston Food Bank, Inc. | Boston, Mass.
• The Urban Farming Institute of Boston, Inc | Mattapan, Mass.
• Women’s Lunch Place, Inc. | Boston, Mass.
•  Worcester County Food Bank Inc. | Shrewsbury, Mass.

New Hampshire

•  The Community Kitchen Inc. | Keene, N.H
• Farmsteads of New England, Inc. | Hillsborough, N.H.
• Gather | Portsmouth, N.H.
• New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Inc. | Newmarket, N.H.
• New Hampshire Food Bank | Statewide, N.H.
• New Hampshire Hunger Solutions, Inc. | Statewide, N.H.
• Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success | Manchester, N.H.
• Willing Hands Enterprises | Upper Valley, N.H.

Rhode Island

• Hope’s Harvest Rhode Island | Pawtucket, R.I.
• Rhode Island Community Food Bank Association | Providence, R.I.
•  Rhode Island Food Policy Council | Statewide, R.I.
• Southside Community Land Trust | Providence, R.I.
• University of Rhode Island Foundation and Alumni Engagement | Kingston, R.I.

About Point32Health
Point32Health is a leading not-for-profit health and well-being organization, delivering a better health care experience to our members and the communities we serve.  One of the top twenty health plans in the United States, Point32Health builds on the quality of our founding organizations, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

At Point32Health, we believe that everyone should have equitable access to affordable, high-quality health care, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, orientation, gender identity or ability.  We offer a diverse range of health plans that help improve the health and wellness of the 1.9 million members we serve.  Every day, we work to deliver on our purpose of guiding and empowering healthier lives for everyone.

We are proud that our Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Commercial Combined HMO and POS plans in Massachusetts and Maine, our Exchange HMO plans in Massachusetts and Maine, as well as Tufts Health Plan’s Medicaid and Exchange HMO plans, have received full Health Equity Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

About Point32Health Foundation
Building on values of service and giving, Point32Health Foundation works with communities to support, advocate and advance healthier lives for everyone. Point32Health Foundation is the result of the combination of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation and advances equity-focused solutions in healthy aging, access to healthy food and behavioral health in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Follow us on Facebook.

About the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health
The challenge builds on the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health hosted by President Biden in in September 2022 where the President released a National Strategy, and announced over $8 billion of external commitments to achieve his bold goal.