I have great news to share with those of our amazing partners and supporters who are passionate about the need for broader, innovative food and nutrition access programs. It was recently announced that the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health has been included in the proposed FY 2022 Omnibus Spending Package. The first (and last) time a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health was convened under President Nixon in 1969.  

It’s been 53 years since that last Conference, and the health and nutrition problems we’re seeing have changed dramatically, requiring new, modern solutions. We’re excited to see this Conference address these key interrelated issues at Open Hand Atlanta, and I am particularly eager about how the Conference may focus on nutrition insecurity. More specifically, I look forward to discussions surrounding efforts to reduce race- and ethnicity-based health disparities and health care costs.

You can rest assured that when the call for proposals for this conference are released, Open Hand will respond. We’re proud to have an opportunity to showcase the innovative food and nutrition access programs that we implement to empower our at-risk neighbors every day.  

Additionally, this Conference has the potential to advance the work of organizations like ours, such as those in the Food Is Medicine Coalition. It may also lead to dramatically improved nutrition research, updated government programming, and build upon the key lessons we’ve all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Never have the intersections between food, nutrition, and health disparities been clearer.

I look forward to keeping you posted on the progress of this White House Conference, and hope you share my excitement for all the opportunities it may bring to advance the needs of those we serve.  

Matthew Pieper, Executive Director