PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — The Highmark Foundation today (Mar. 23) announced a $1 million grant to extend the Food for Mountaineers program, launched in 2024. Through this ongoing collaboration, WVU Medicine patients facing food insecurity will be provided with pre-funded debit cards to purchase nutritious food at Kroger, Food Lion, Walmart, Amazon Fresh, Instacart and Dollar General.
“This grant demonstrates our sustained commitment to improving whole-person health of West Virginians,” Jay Sheehy, president of Highmark West Virginia, said. “Highmark and WVU Medicine have a long-standing partnership focused on creating environments that support mental, physical, and social well-being and we are proud to continue building on those efforts with this new grant.”
Programs like Food for Mountaineers are critically important in West Virginia, where statistics highlight the urgent need. According to Feeding America and USDA data, one-in-six West Virginians face hunger, making the state the fourth hungriest in terms of food insecurity.
Simultaneously, West Virginia faces the second-highest rate of diabetes diagnoses in the country, highlighting the critical link between access to nutritious food and overall health outcomes.
“Health-related social needs, including food insecurity and limited access to nutritious foods that support disease management, are significant drivers of overall health outcomes,” Sarah Patrick, WVU Medicine Population Health medical director, said. “We are thrilled to work with the Highmark Foundation and InComm Healthcare to expand access to nutritious food and advance food is medicine efforts, ensuring patients have the support they need to focus on improving their health.”
This continued funding builds upon the proven success of the initial Food for Mountaineers program, which successfully impacted over 1,100 individuals. Demonstrating adaptability by expanding eligible items to include baby formula and adjusting policies to better align with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the program ensures more individuals have access to the support they need.
“Our ongoing support for Food for Mountaineers underscores the Highmark Foundation’s commitment to addressing health-related social needs in West Virginia,” Kenya T. Boswell, president of the Highmark Foundation and senior vice president of community affairs at Highmark Health, said. “We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with WVU Medicine and its Population Health Department, building on the initial success of this program to further advance food insecurity efforts and positively impact the lives of West Virginians.”
The program’s success is also driven by the innovative payment solutions provided by InComm Healthcare.
“Improving nutrition starts with getting funds to the individuals who need it most, then enabling them to purchase healthy foods at conveniently located stores,” Joe Donato, senior vice president and general manager at InComm Healthcare, said. “We are proud to deliver the technology and retail partnerships that help West Virginians receive and redeem the funds provided by the Food for Mountaineers program.”
With this renewed grant for Food for Mountaineers, the Highmark Foundation and WVU Medicine reaffirm their shared vision for a healthier West Virginia. By collaboratively addressing health disparities and empowering individuals, this partnership is building a stronger, more resilient community for generations to come.
To learn more about the Highmark Foundation, visit highmarkfoundation.org.
